Hyderabad: Encroachments have been found along stretches of Pandena Vagu in Rangareddy district, according to a report submitted by the district collector to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The report states that several structures, including a college and residential buildings, have been built within the buffer zone of the nala, although the water flow area remains unaffected.The collector also confirmed that no new building permissions are being issued in the sensitive areas and that construction activities near the nala have been halted. The matter has now been placed before the tribunal for further action. Rangareddy collector C Narayana Reddy informed the NGT southern zone that Pandena Vagu, passing through Puppalaguda and connecting Peddacheruvu of Neknampur, was already heavily encroached in multiple stretches. In an Aug 2025 compliance report, submitted in response to the tribunal’s 2024 order, the collector noted that no new building permissions are being issued in the Rajendranagar division. Encroachments were found at Neknampur, Puppalaguda, and Manikonda. Joint inspection conducted A joint inspection was carried out in June this year by officials from the irrigation, revenue, and municipal departments. The team assessed encroachments along Pandena Vagu in Puppalaguda and Neknampur villages of Gandipet mandal.Though the nala is not marked in cadastral maps, it is recorded as a second order stream in Survey of India toposheets. Field measurements showed its width varied between 10 metres and 13.6 metres, prompting officials to define a 9-metre buffer zone on either side, in line with GOs from April 2012. Officials identified 42 structures in Puppalaguda and 10 in Neknampur within the buffer zone, which were mapped using line diagrams and Google Earth overlays. The encroachments include a college, an apartment, plots in gram panchayat layouts, and compound walls. Encroachments limited to buffer zone The report clarified that the encroachments are confined to the buffer area and do not obstruct the nala’s flow channel. Open plots outside the buffer were not treated as violations. The revenue divisional officer, Rajendranagar, confirmed that construction activity had been stopped wherever it abutted the nala. The Manikonda municipal commissioner also stated that no building permissions are being issued in the buffer zone. The report, along with detailed lists of encroachments and their current status, has been submitted to the NGT for further orders.
