Court dismisses claim on Hyderabad’s Bathukamma Kunta, rules in favour of HYDRAA certifying it as lake

Works underway at Bathukamma Kunta lake in Amberpet, Hyderabad, on February 18, 2025
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The hurdles for restoration of Bathukamma Kunta in Amberpet were removed on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) when the City Civil Court ruled in favour of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), certifying it as a lake.

A civil suit filed by one Yedla Sudhakar Reddy claiming that the land was his, and not a lake has been dismissed by the court, a press release from HYDRAA said.

The verdict has vindicated HYDRAA’s contention that it was a lake as proven by the gush of water in a few feet below ground when attempts at restoration began in February this year, it said.

Lake reduced from 14 acres to five acres

Bathukamma Kunta’s original extent of 14 acres as per the records of 1962-63 has been a victim of several encroachments, eventually restricted to over five acres.

Local residents approached HYDRAA requesting its chief A.V. Ranganath to restore the lake, after which the civil works were taken up, the note said.

The court based its judgement on Revenue records, village maps, Survey of India records and satellite images, the note said. A team of lawyers representing HYDRAA were appreciated by Mr. Ranganath.