HYDRAA has warned Hyderabad residents and property operators against individuals allegedly impersonating its officials to extort money, urging anyone facing such threats to report them to the Anti-Corruption Bureau or the police.
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency said it had received complaints and noticed social media reports about people allegedly using its name to threaten residents and collect money. The agency cautioned the public not to pay anyone who promises official intervention or demands money by invoking HYDRAA action.
HYDRAA clarified that it does not independently initiate action against illegal constructions or unauthorised buildings. According to the agency, it acts on requests from the Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations to remove dangerous buildings that pose a risk to public safety.
The clarification is significant because HYDRAA’s role in responding to unsafe structures places it at the intersection of municipal enforcement, building safety and emergency response. The agency’s statement indicates that people may be using public uncertainty about these responsibilities to present themselves as officials and seek payments.
HYDRAA said victims or people who encounter such cases can approach the agency, the ACB or their local police stations. The agency did not disclose the number of complaints or identify the people allegedly involved in the reported extortion attempts.
The warning also addressed hostel operators running facilities in structurally unsafe buildings. HYDRAA said such operators had been given time until December 31 to shift their hostels to safer premises. After that deadline, the agency said it would take action along with municipal officials to prevent possible loss of life from building collapses.
The agency’s statement places responsibility for action against dangerous buildings within a coordinated municipal process rather than presenting HYDRAA as an independent approval or enforcement authority for every unauthorised construction complaint. For residents and property operators, the distinction means that any demand for payment in exchange for stopping or securing official action should be treated as a complaint requiring police or anti-corruption investigation.
HYDRAA’s warning comes as unsafe buildings remain a public-safety concern for people living, working or operating hostels in dense urban areas. The agency’s immediate next steps are to receive complaints about impersonation and, after December 31, act with the Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations against hostel facilities that remain in structurally unsafe premises.
