Even as a fierce controversy is raging over the demolition of illegal buildings by the Telangana government agency, HYDRAA, the revenue, and irrigation departments on Thursday set off controlled detonation to demolish a four-story building constructed in the middle of a lake in the Sangareddy district.

Two people suffered minor injuries during the detonation.

Meanwhile, Revenue Department officials began surveying houses in the catchment area of river Musi ahead of the chief minister’s dream project of Musi riverfront beautification but faced resistance from the local population.

A building constructed on concrete stilts in the Malkapur Pedda Cheruvu of Kondapur Mandal in the Sangareddy district was demolished by using detonators. The unauthorised construction could only be accessed by a long ramp and a staircase from the bank. A swimming pool was also being constructed there. It was built some 12 years ago though the owner failed to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Irrigation Department.

The building was not occupied on a permanent basis and the owner rented it out to people visiting from Hyderabad. After the villagers complained to the Revenue Department about the illegal construction, a demolition notice was issued against it.

Since there was no way to access the building by vehicle, the officials decided to conduct a controlled detonation of the building. Accordingly, the detonators were placed in the morning and officials made announcements to clear out the area as hundreds of people gathered to watch. Once the detonators were set off the concrete building collapsed in the water of the lake.

Demolitions carried out by the Congress government have been appreciated by activists fighting to save the lakes but residents have raised their objections. Amidst tight security, officials began surveying the catchment of Musi River in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts and marked the buildings. In many areas like Kothapet, Maruthinagar, and Satyanagar residents refused to vacate their houses and obstructed the officials from carrying out the survey.

River Musi, on the banks of which the city of Hyderabad prospered, has turned into a moribund drain and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has come up with the Musi Rejuvenation Project at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.