Hyderabad: GHMC staff on Wednesday foiled the attempts of some persons to change the status of land in Devuni Kunta, known as Humayun lake, Asifnagar, in violation of the Water, Land and Trees Act WALTA on Wednesday.
The claimants of the land, Syed Ahmed Hussain and others, started levelling the land with debris. The bund was dismantled and roads were being laid using JCBs within the full tank level. Even plotting maps were circulated.
Activist Dr Lubna Sarwath alerted the district collector and other authorities after which the GHMC staff seized the motors and removed the construction material.
GHMC zonal commissioner Khairatabad, Mohammed Musharraf Faruqui, said the claimants had High Court orders in their favour and officials were not disputing their rights on the title. "There may be patta for the lands in the bed of a water body and this kind of patta is called shikam patta,” he said.
He said, “As per our records the tank is a notified water body and its status cannot be changed. We have no objection if they cultivate there, but they can’t change the form of the land.” He said that as per the Act, any kind of construction in the shikam of the tank is not permissible.
Former MP Aziz Pasha visited the site and alleged that these activities were being carried out under political patronage. He asked the government to protect the lake from encroachment.
Dr Sarwath asked the authorities to protect the lakes. She said the claimants were taking advantage of the inattentiveness of the authorities and had succeeded in securing orders in their favour.
