Hyderabad's Durgam Cheruvu lake faced illegal encroachment for about three years, growing from one to five acres. On Tuesday, the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) acted decisively. They cleared the five acres of filled-in lake area and fenced it off to stop further damage. The encroachment began unnoticed despite reports. Officials said a court case blocked government action earlier, allowing the encroachments to continue. The occupied space was used for parking school buses and IT firm vehicles. A public representative claimed the land as his own, but the area kept growing into the lake's full tank level (FTL). This also delayed plans for a walking track around the lake. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had notified the lake's extent as 160.7 acres in 2014. Satellite images show 29 acres were lost by 1976, and another 10 acres between 1995 and 2000. Now, only 116 acres of the lake remain. HYDRAA will check government records to verify the lake's true size. HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath said, "boulders were dumped into the lake in the attempt to fill it up, and clearing the same would be an expensive task." Authorities continue their efforts to safeguard the lake's environment and prevent future illegal occupation.