Nagarjuna Plays Hero Off Screen

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday called popular Tollywood actor Nagarjuna a ‘real hero’ for handing over two acres of land back to the government for the rejuvenation of Thammidikunta Lake in Madhapur.

Nagarjuna, whose N-Convention was demolished in 2024 for encroachment on the lake, joined the Chief Minister for the inauguration of the restored lake on Wednesday evening.

The lake in the IT hub of Madhapur was shrunk to nearly 14 acres due to encroachments but has now been restored by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) to its original extent of around 30 acres.

HYDRAA demolished the N-Convention owned by Nagarjuna and removed other encroachments in 2024.

The actor, who had denied that the N-Convention had encroached the lake bed, last year came forward to hand over two acres back to the government.

"Akkineni Nagarjuna stepped forward with a generous heart and handed over 2 acres of land to the government. Nagarjuna has proven himself to be a hero not just in films, but in real life as well," said CM Revanth Reddy in his speech at the inauguration of the restored land.

Nagarjuna also praised the Chief Minister and said he had a clear and strong vision. “He cares deeply about our lakes and rivers, and their rejuvenation and beautification are among his highest priorities. He is determined to restore them, whatever it takes. It was with this very vision that HYDRAA was created,” said the actor.

Thammidikunta is one of the six lakes taken up by HYDRAA for restoration in the first phase. The agency has so far inaugurated four lakes after their restoration.

The Chief Minister said that Hyderabad is known as a city of rocks and lakes. "Out of the 1,372 lakes that once existed in Hyderabad, 50 per cent have vanished due to various reasons. Encroachments on these lakes lead to water stagnation on roads whenever it rains. Residential colonies are becoming waterlogged. Everyone needs to reflect on this situation," he said.

Revanth Reddy stated that his vision is rooted in the conservation of nature. “We are striving to establish Hyderabad as a world-class city. As part of this effort, we are restoring the city’s lakes,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he took up rejuvenation of the Musi River, which has become heavily polluted.

"River-based civilisations have flourished in many parts of the world. Recognising this, the Nizam had developed the Musi River basin a century ago," he said

He announced that the first phase of the Musi rejuvenation project will be launched soon. He assured that the affected communities under the Musi project would be provided relief.

“The lives of the city’s residents are deeply intertwined with the Musi River. This is not just about beautifying the Musi; it is about its complete rejuvenation. The Musi must be cleaned, and our lakes must be liberated from the clutches of encroachment,” the Chief Minister said.

He urged all political parties to set aside political differences and to come together for rejuvenation of the Musi River.