Take steps to save water, Telangana high court asks state governments

Hyderabad: Expressing concern over reports that by 2050 the entire country would be reeling under water scarcity, the Telangana High Court opined that all state governments should take immediate steps to solve the problems.

The governments, both Central and states should take necessary measures for conservation of the water to protect water bodies, it said.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghavender Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy was dealing with a PIL filed by Mr Donthula Laxmi Narayana, former assistant engineer of the irrigation and command area development department, challenging the decision of the state government to increase the capacity of one reservoir in the Kaleshwaram Project from 1.5 tmc ft to 50 tmc ft.

The High Court bench asked the petitioner how could a retired engineer challenge the decision of the state government, where he had worked so many years in the same department.

The endeavour of the state government was to see that the state had sufficient capacity to store water so as to be used for various needs.

During the proceedings, Justice Chauhan questioned the credentials of Mr Narayana to file the PIL by asking him the nature of his duties while he was in service, whether he was a part of the same project and why he was opposing it after retiring.

“How can one individual come to the court and tell us that the state government has taken a faulty decision in increasing the storage capacity of a reservoir? It is the wisdom of the government to take a policy decision. Time and again the Supreme Court has reiterated on this topic that the courts should not interfere with the policy decisions of the government,” the High Court bench said and adjourned the case for after the summer vacation.