Hyderabad: In a decisive move to address long-standing flooding woes, HYDRAA on Friday began demolishing illegal commercial structures that had severely choked the Rasoolpura (Patny) nala, reducing its width from the planned 70 feet to just 15–18 feet along a 150-metre stretch near Patny Centre.This stretch had become a major bottleneck for floodwaters flowing in from the Hasmathpet and Picket nalas, which together run over 23 km through Secunderabad’s densely populated upstream colonies. The obstruction has long aggravated flooding in neighbourhoods like Paigah Colony, Patny Compound, Viman Nagar, BHEL Colony, and Indiramma Nagar.Following repeated petitions from residents, HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath inspected the site on Thursday, accompanied by Secunderabad Cantonment Board CEO Madhukar Naik and officials from the GHMC, irrigation, and revenue departments. Locals presented mobile phone images showing that over 55–60 feet of the nala had been encroached.“Even a 5 cm rain shower submerges our lanes,” said a long-time resident of Patny Colony.On Friday morning, demolition teams began razing the illegal constructions while traffic police managed vehicular flow at the busy junction. Commissioner Ranganath assured residents that the cleared stretch would be secured with a retaining RCC wall to prevent future encroachments. Desilting operations will also be undertaken to improve the drain’s carrying capacity.“We are strictly enforcing high court and Supreme Court orders—there will be no more delay tactics,” Ranganath said.Cantonment authorities added that any action against low-income dwellings would be considered only as a last resort, with compensation sought wherever demolition becomes unavoidable.