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Is Your Survey Number in HYDRAA's "Blue" or "Grey" List? How to Verify

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Is Your Survey Number in HYDRAA's "Blue" or "Grey" List? How to Verify

Most people think HYDRAA is only about lakes. But here's the reality: if your plot blocks the city's flow — whether it's water flow or traffic flow (road widening) — you're on HYDRAA's radar. You may have registration and building permission... but none of those papers will save you if you're sitting on public utility space.

So before buying a plot, checking the link documents is not enough. You have to self-verify which zone your survey number falls under. Here's how, step by step.

First, Get This Straight

HYDRAA does not publish a single downloadable "Blue List PDF" or "Grey List PDF." Instead, you verify your survey number against official map layers:

  • Blue Zone = FTL + Buffer zones (lakes, tanks) → HMDA lakes portal + irrigation maps

  • Green Zone = Public parks, layout open spaces → layout LP number + master plan

  • Grey Zone = Public Right of Way — storm water drains (nalas) + road setbacks → HMDA Master Plan 2031

Check all three layers separately. One can be clean while another hides a problem.

Step 1: Get Your Exact Survey Number (Bhu Bharati)

Everything depends on the exact survey number + sub-division (example: 142/A). Note that Dharani no longer exists — it was replaced by Bhu Bharati in April 2025.

👉 bhubharati.telangana.gov.in → enter District / Mandal / Village / Survey Number.

Here you can see ownership, extent (area), land classification, and Prohibited Property (22A) status. If the survey number comes back blank, don't panic — it's usually a Part-B or migration lag issue; contact your MRO.

Step 2: Blue Zone Check — FTL & Buffer (Most Important)

This is the #1 reason for HYDRAA demolitions. Official portal:

👉 lakes.hmda.gov.in — this is the portal HYDRAA itself officially recommends.

Enter District → Mandal/Circle → Village → Lake name, and you'll get the FTL map + Cadastral map. The cadastral map shows the survey numbers around the lake, so you can directly see whether your number falls inside that boundary.

Buffer distances (remember these):

  • Lakes larger than 10 hectares → 30 metres no-construction buffer

  • Smaller lakes & nalas → 9 metres buffer

For an extra cross-check: use Bhuvan (ISRO) — bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in to overlay your survey number on satellite imagery, and also review Irrigation & CAD Department floodplain maps.

⚠️ Big catch: HMDA has identified 3,500+ lakes, but final FTL notifications are still pending for many of them. So even if the portal shows "clean," the risk returns the day that lake gets notified. That's why physical verification with a licensed surveyor is a must — never rely on the portal alone.

Step 3: Grey Zone Check — Road Widening & Nala (Don't Skip)

Why did the roadside shops get demolished? Because they were blocking the master plan road alignment. Your plot's front portion could fall inside a road-widening zone — and this won't show up in your link documents.

👉 HMDA Master Plan 2031 — hmda.gov.in (Planning section → Master Plan 2031 / Zone-wise / Mandal-wise maps)

On your area map, check:

  • What is the proposed width of that road? (e.g. 30m, 40m, 60m)

  • Does your plot's front fall inside that widening zone?

  • Does a storm water drain (nala) alignment touch your boundary?

If the master plan's road or nala alignment cuts into your plot, construction can be demolished — even with all your papers in order.

Step 4: Final Cross-Verify

Match all three layers before making a decision:


Check

Portal

Ownership + Prohibited (22A)

bhubharati.telangana.gov.in

FTL / Buffer (Blue)

lakes.hmda.gov.in

Road widening + Nala (Grey)

hmda.gov.in (Master Plan 2031)

Satellite overlay

bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in

Only if everything is clean should you consider a roadside commercial plot safe. If in doubt, get an FMB (Field Measurement Book) and physical demarcation done through a licensed surveyor.

Bottom Line

A registration paper is not a safety paper. HYDRAA's jurisdiction is now much bigger than lakes — block the water flow or the traffic flow, and enforcement follows. So do it in this order: survey number → Blue check → Grey check → physical verify — and only then pay the amount.

Want your survey number verified? Type 'HYDRAA' in the comments — I'll send the official FTL maps and Master Plan portal links. 📍

— Plot it | Transparency is your right, verification is your responsibility.

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