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The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Friday, June 5, secured nearly 198 acres of government land at the Puppalaguda–Khajaguda border in Gandipet mandal of Rangareddy district. The region’s historic rock formations are believed to be around 2.5 billion years old.
The fenced land is part of a larger area that was earlier allotted to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) by the Telangana government.
The site has been the focus of conservation efforts by the ‘Society to Save Rocks’ for several years. The organisation had approached the Telangana High Court seeking protection for the unique geological formations. In 2019, the court directed Revenue and Municipal authorities to preserve both the government land and the rock structures. However, delays in marking boundaries and installing fencing raised concerns over possible encroachments.
Following complaints received through their Prajavani public grievance programme, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath inspected the area. Officials from HYDRAA, along with Revenue and Municipal departments, later verified land records and confirmed the ownership status before taking up the fencing work.
According to official records, Survey No. 452/1 contains 174 acres of government land, while Survey No. 454/1 covers 119.05 acres, bringing the total to 293.05 acres. Of this, 263.05 acres had been allotted to HMDA. Subsequent verification found that 63.05 acres belonged to private owners due to overlapping village boundaries, leaving around 200 acres under HMDA control.
After excluding portions allocated for religious structures, HYDRAA fenced the remaining HMDA land. The fenced area also includes Bhagirathamma Cheruvu, where restoration work is currently underway.
