Hyderabad: A city resident has filed a public interest litigation against senior civic and government officials for allegedly turning a blind eye towards the illegal encroachment of land parcels and a waterbody in Balapur of Ranga Reddy district by a municipal councillor.
The petitioner, Mohammed Avez Ahmed, a resident of Chandrayanagutta, contended that ‘kunta’ (waterbody) land spread across six acres, under Survey No. 154 of Balapur village as per revenue records, was encroached upon by a councillor of Jalpally municipality.
Further, a wall has been constructed to prevent the ingress of water, the course of the waterbody was filled with sand and stones, and plots were sold despite a lack of approval for the layout.
Another parcel of land, across which a natural drain known locally as ‘Firangi nala’ flows, is also alleged to have been encroached by the councillor, as the drain connects to the lake and acts as a check to avoid overflow, the petitioner claimed.
The petitioner highlighted the problems faced by residents of Balapur, Meerpet and surrounding areas during the monsoon of 2020, as encroachment of natural drains and waterbodies left no outlet for accumulated rainwater that flooded residences.
The petitioner said that no action was taken by the revenue or municipal authorities on his representation and registrations were also being done despite a lack of approvals for the layout.
The PIL has been filed against the HMDA commissioner, Ranga Reddy district collector, municipal commissioner of Jalpally municipality and revenue and registration departments.
