Hyderabad: It has been pointed out that a major drawback from the government’s end is not serving legal notices to lake encroachers before carrying out demolition drives.
This costly mistake in turn enables the encroachers to approach the courts for protection of their properties and get stay orders with ease, say experts.
Many encroachers also misquote the courts’ orders and escape the axe. The N-Convention, which had occupied 12.3 acres of the Thammidi Kunta lake (buffer zone and Full Tank Level), and had allegedly misquoted the order.
The order was re-read by the GHMC officials after the recent survey was completed. They found that the N-Convention, owned by Tollywood actor Nagarjuna, did not have a stay order and the court had only asked the management to follow measures in accordance with the law.
At many waterbodies in and around the city, the lake fencings are tweaked by the civic officials who are hand-in-glove with the grabbers. Stone markers that indicate the original water spread are demolished so that the FTL can’t be determined.
Experts say that even if the departments serve notices, the private parties approach the courts for stay orders and the officials don’t bother to see if the stay orders are vacated or not. In case of fresh illegal constructions, the stay orders mostly continue till the construction ends.
When the GHMC carries out a demolition drive, if the violators say they have got a stay, the town planning wing, without going through the order, vacates the premises fearing violation of court’s orders.
