The Telangana government has initiated action against a 17-storied luxury residential project after authorities alleged that it was built on the full tank level (FTL) area and buffer zone of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has issued a public advisory stating that the project site falls within the protected limits of the lake, setting the stage for what could become one of the state's most high-profile actions against an alleged lake encroachment.
The project, Bliss by Pradeep Constructions, has acquired political significance because of its owner B. Pradeep Reddy’s links to Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao.
KTR is already under scrutiny over the controversy surrounding the Janwada farmhouse. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy alleged that the farmhouse is actually owned by the BRS leader but registered in the name of Pradeep Reddy. KTR has rejected the allegations, maintaining that Pradeep Reddy is his friend and that he had merely leased the farmhouse from him. Now, the Congress is trying to link KTR to the Bliss project, claiming that the project received its approvals during the BRS government between 2018 and 2020.
The disputed project comprises two residential towers with 17 upper floors each, spread over 7,640.89 sq. metres on Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda. According to HYDRAA, a joint inspection conducted by the Irrigation & CAD Department found that 7,355.15 square metres of the project site fall within the FTL area of Hussain Sagar Lake, while the remaining 285.74 square metres lie within the lake's mandatory 30-metre buffer zone, leaving no buildable extent. The Hyderabad district collector has also reported that the land is recorded in the Town Survey Land Register as "Vacant land, Tank Submerged" and that no 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) was issued by the Collector's office for the property.
Based on these findings, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) issued a show-cause notice proposing cancellation of the building permissions granted in 2018 and 2020, alleging that they were obtained through material misrepresentation and suppression of material facts. The municipal body has kept the project's application for an Occupancy Certificate in abeyance and clarified that no OC has been issued. In its advisory, HYDRAA cautioned prospective buyers against entering into transactions involving the project or taking possession of flats until the proceedings are concluded. The agency also advised the public not to rely on any representation that the project has been approved for occupation.
The dispute has emerged as one of the most politically sensitive cases of lake encroachment taken up by the Congress government since it assumed office. By focusing on a project associated with a close acquaintance of KTR, the government has intensified its campaign against illegal constructions on lakes, nalas, and government land. The Congress leaders have also revived allegations about the Janwada farmhouse, claiming it was also constructed in violation of environmental norms.
The legal battle, however, is far from over. Civil and writ proceedings concerning the subject land are already pending before the City Civil Court and the Telangana High Court. The proposed cancellation of the building permissions and any subsequent action by the authorities will ultimately be subject to the outcome of those proceedings and any further judicial orders. The proceedings could become a landmark case in determining the extent to which authorities can revisit and revoke approvals issued for large real estate projects after construction has been completed.
