HYDRAA Recruitment Draws Thousands to Saroornagar Stadium, Chaos Erupts

Thousands of job aspirants from across Telangana gathered at Saroornagar Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday to take part in the recruitment process for posts in the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency ( HYDRAA). The huge turnout led to overcrowding and brief tension at the venue.

HYDRAA is recruiting for 150 posts, comprising 100 Disaster Response Force (DRF) Assistants and 50 Heavy Vehicle Drivers. Officials said the selection is being conducted without a written examination, with candidates required to qualify through a series of physical fitness tests.

The recruitment drive was scheduled at Saroornagar Stadium from 5 am on August 8 and 9. Candidates had to meet demanding physical benchmarks, including completing an 800-metre run within 170 seconds and a 100-metre sprint within 15 seconds. They were also required to clear a four-metre long jump and throw a 7.2-kg shot put at least six metres.

With only a limited number of vacancies available, large crowds began arriving at the stadium in the early hours. Officials estimated that around 2,000 to 3,000 candidates turned up, leaving the stadium and surrounding areas heavily congested.

The rush reportedly resulted in pushing and jostling among candidates, prompting police personnel to intervene and manage the crowd. Authorities began issuing tokens to candidates in an effort to regulate entry and prevent further congestion.

Videos showing the heavy crowd and the situation at the stadium have also circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to the scale of the recruitment drive.