Overview
- HYDRAA fenced and secured approximately 198–200 acres at the Puppalaguda–Khajaguda border following a field inspection led by Commissioner A. V. Ranganath, which took place on Friday.
- The agency acted after complaints filed through its Prajavani grievance programme and verified land status with Revenue and Municipal officials before erecting the perimeter fence.
- Officials relied on revenue records for Survey Nos. 452/1 (174 acres) and 454/1 (119.05 acres) to show a combined 293.05 acres, of which roughly 263.05 acres were allotted to HMDA and about 63.05 acres were found to be privately held, leaving about 198–200 acres for protection.
- HYDRAA said the protected tract contains granite formations and caves estimated to be about 2.5 billion years old, includes Bhagirathamma Cheruvu where restoration has begun, and was publicly valued at around ₹30,000 crore.
- The move responds to decades of campaigning by the Society to Save Rocks and enforces the 2019 Telangana High Court directive to demarcate and safeguard government land and the Khajaguda geological precinct, which should reduce risks from encroachment and blasting and help preserve public access.