GO 111 Revocation: What Every Property Buyer in Hyderabad Must Know
What Was Government Order 111?
Government Order No. 111 (G.O. Ms. No. 111, MA & UD Department) was issued on 8 March 1996 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. It imposed a blanket ban on all construction, industrial, commercial, and developmental activities within a 10-kilometer radius of Osmansagar (also called Gandipet Lake) and Himayatsagar lakes in the western outskirts of Hyderabad. Both reservoirs were constructed during the Nizam era — Osmansagar in 1920 and Himayatsagar in 1927 — to supply drinking water to Hyderabad city. GO 111 covered approximately 84 villages spread across Rangareddy, Sangareddy, and Vikarabad districts.
Why Was GO 111 Needed? — Protecting Hyderabad's Water Supply
By the early 1990s, Hyderabad's rapid urban sprawl was encroaching on the catchment areas of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar. Sewage from new residential colonies, effluents from small industries, and construction debris were flowing into the lakes, degrading water quality. Environmental experts and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) raised alarms about the potential contamination of the city's primary drinking water sources. GO 111 was the government's response — a protective buffer zone that froze development around both reservoirs to preserve their water quality and catchment ecology.
The 27-Year Impact: What Happened During 1996-2023
For 27 years, GO 111 effectively froze development in 84 villages. Landowners who held agricultural land in areas like Gandipet, Chevella, Shankarpally, Moinabad, and parts of Rajendranagar and Shamshabad could not build houses, develop layouts, or start any commercial activity. Meanwhile, Hyderabad expanded massively in all other directions — property values in the IT corridor (Gachibowli, Nanakramguda, Manikonda) soared while GO 111 area landowners watched their land remain undevelopable. Despite the ban, illegal construction continued in many areas. Unauthorized layouts, farmhouses, and residential structures came up in violation of GO 111, often with the tacit knowledge of local officials. This has created a complex legal situation that persists even after revocation.
GO 111 Revocation — G.O. Ms. No. 69 (March 2023)
On 3 March 2023, the BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) government, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, revoked GO 111 through G.O. Ms. No. 69 (MA & UD Department). The government's rationale was that Hyderabad no longer depends on Osmansagar and Himayatsagar for drinking water. Today, the city receives the bulk of its water supply from the Krishna and Godavari rivers through pipelines from Nagarjuna Sagar and Yellampally/Singur reservoirs. The revocation was also seen as a long-pending relief for the 84 affected villages whose development had been frozen for nearly three decades.
However, environmentalists and urban planners criticized the revocation, arguing that even if the lakes are no longer primary water sources, they serve critical roles in flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity conservation. There have been legal challenges, and the matter has been brought before the Telangana High Court.
What Buyers Must Check for Properties in the GO 111 Zone
If you are considering purchasing a property in any of the 84 villages that were covered under GO 111, follow this due diligence checklist:
- Download the Encumbrance Certificate (EC) — Use our EC Download (IGRS) tool. Check for any construction-related entries, mortgage entries, or court orders from the 1996-2023 period that might indicate illegal activity.
- Verify building permissions — If the property has a structure, confirm when the building permission was obtained. Permissions obtained during the GO 111 ban period (1996-2023) may be invalid or obtained through irregular channels.
- Check for HYDRAA notices — Verify with the local GHMC/municipal office whether the property has received any notice from HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring Agency) regarding illegal construction or FTL encroachment.
- Verify FTL boundaries — Even with GO 111 revoked, construction within the Full Tank Level (FTL) boundary of any lake remains prohibited under the Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA) and other environmental laws. Check if the property is outside the FTL using the Survey Boundary tool.
- Check the Prohibited Property list — Use our Prohibited Property Check to verify the property is not listed under Section 22-A.
- Engage a property lawyer — For properties with structures built during 1996-2023, engage a lawyer who understands the GO 111 history and can assess the legal risk of the specific property.
HYDRAA and GO 111 Area Properties
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring Agency (HYDRAA) was established in June 2024 by the Government of Telangana to monitor and protect lakes, water bodies, naala encroachments, and buffer zones across the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region. HYDRAA has been actively demolishing illegal constructions in lake FTL areas, naala encroachments, and unauthorized structures. Properties in the former GO 111 zone that were constructed illegally during the ban period are prime targets for HYDRAA action. Even after the revocation of GO 111, HYDRAA's jurisdiction under WALTA and the HMDA Act allows it to act against any structure that encroaches on lake buffer zones or violates environmental norms.
Key Takeaway
GO 111 is revoked, and new development in the formerly restricted zone is legally permissible. However, the 27-year ban period created a complex legacy. Properties that were transacted or built upon during 1996-2023 require careful scrutiny. Check the EC, verify building permissions, confirm FTL compliance, and watch for HYDRAA notices before purchasing any property in the Gandipet, Chevella, Shankarpally, Moinabad, Rajendranagar, or Shamshabad areas near Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes.
