Demolition of Nagarjuna’s N Convention Centre Stirs Controversy

Hyderabad’s newly-established agency, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA), conducted a demolition of N Convention Centre owned by renowned Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna on Saturday morning. The agency alleged that the convention centre, which spans 10 acres, encroached upon two acres of the nearby Tummidikunta lake.

The demolition operation commenced early in the day with the HYDRA team arriving at the site equipped with heavy machinery. This action was reportedly taken following multiple complaints regarding the illegal construction on the lake’s Full Tank Level (FTL) zone.

Soon after the demolition began, Nagarjuna approached the Telangana High Court, which issued interim orders to halt further destruction of the property. In a public statement, Nagarjuna expressed that the demolition was executed unlawfully and that his convention centre was not built on encroached land.

Nagarjuna stated, “The land is Patta land, and not even an inch of tank plan is encroached.” He also claimed that no notice was given prior to the demolition and criticized the conduct of the authorities involved.

HYDRA officials responded to the allegations, stating that the N Convention Centre had constructed unauthorized structures on both the FTL area and within the buffer zones. A representative from the agency noted that the structures had been built without the necessary permissions and were rejected for regularization under the Building Regularisation Scheme.

This incident is part of a broader initiative by HYDRA to address encroachments near water bodies in Hyderabad, which have reportedly led to severe water logging issues in the surrounding areas. The demolition of Nagarjuna’s convention centre follows previous controversies surrounding its construction, dating back to its establishment between 2010 and 2012.