Hyderabad: The government that moved to demolish illegal structures after the recent floods, is in a dilemma over whether to cancel an order (GO 419) issued by the previous government during the peak of the Telangana movement earmarking 17.25 acres of land in the Mushkin Cheruvu of Pup-palaguda for construction.
As per records, the tank extended over 52 acres spanning survey numbers 376, 255, 257, 258, 259 and 260. It has served the public since Nizam’s rule.
The controversy began over the land of the tank since 2009 as the irrigation department downgraded full tank level from 534 feet to 531.2 feet. Some realtors began filling up the FTL with soil. Based on complaints from locals, the then deputy collector of Rajendranagar G. Hanmanth Reddy issued a memo (Lr. No. D/2658/2009) stating that FTL in survey numbers 258, 260 and 376 was being filled.
The irrigation department on January 24, 2009, said in an inspection report that according to the 531.2 feet FTL, there were only government lands and no patta land was involved. Later it admitted that there were 17.25 acres of patta land.
Based on these reports, the then government issued an order (GO No. 419) in September 2013, during the peak of the Telangana statehood movement, recommending conversion of the 17.25 acres from the water body and green belt to multiple usages under four survey numbers — 255, 257, 258 and 260 — contravening Supreme Court guidelines on protection of water bodies.
The government order stated that no objection or suggestion was received from the public. The HMDA database still displays survey number 258 and 260 as Mushkin Cheruvu and the same is mentioned in the HUDA master plan for Puppalguda zone segment.
Satellite images of the area show all the three survey numbers (258, 259 and 260) as part of the water body. So far, there has been no action on the cancellation of the GO.
