Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday instructed that all constructions in the buffer zone and full tank level (FTL) of Malkam Cheruvu, be stopped. The Hyderabad Court heard the matter in WP/8823/2018 IA/1/2018 and ordered that there shall be no constructions in Malkam Cheruvu and that all existing constructions are to be stayed. Earlier on May 25, the court had directed the GHMC, ‘not to carry out any work that affects the buffer zone, full tank level (FTL) or inlet and outlet channels of the lake.’
A group of fishermen had moved court, days after authorities said that they were planning to 'develop' the lake into a hangout spot, in four phases, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.6 crores. The fishermen claimed that the lake was a source of livelihood for them, and that the move would have an adverse effect on their lives. Activists from Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) had earlier said in a statement, "We have been informed of the night-long landfills in the lake. This is a serious crime and the land fillers are on the wrong side of law. You cannot hide the crime by doing it under the cover of darkness." They demanded that the entire landfill be dredged immediately.
