What happened: Telangana High Court order affecting HYDRAA chief
On 27 July 2026, the Telangana High Court ordered the replacement of HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath. The order triggered a political and administrative dispute around HYDRAA’s enforcement approach, the Telangana government’s authority, and compliance with court directions.
BRS and BJP criticised the Telangana government and HYDRAA and alleged that HYDRAA used coercive tactics and instilled fear among the public. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy defended HYDRAA’s chief and defended the Telangana government’s authority to appoint officers, while presenting HYDRAA’s work as a significant reform focused on protecting public assets.
Background and earlier position: HYDRAA’s stated mandate in urban asset protection
HYDRAA was created by an executive order about two years before the High Court order. HYDRAA is described as supporting asset protection, disaster management, and logistics support for other departments.
In urban public-asset protection, HYDRAA’s stated focus areas include parks, lakes, stormwater drains, land parcels, roads, and footpaths from encroachment.
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