Telangana HC Fines Govt Rs 5,000 for Delay in Himayatsagar FTL Case
The court had earlier issued notice to the Chief Secretary and several agencies, including the irrigation department, HMDA, GHMC, HMWS&SB, PCB and the Lake Protection Committee, directing them to file counters. The matter has now been posted to December 30.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on the state government for repeatedly delaying its counter-affidavit in a public interest litigation concerning largescale illegal constructions in the full tank level (FTL) area of Himayatsagar. Despite issuing notices on April 30 to multiple government departments, the bench noted, that no counter had been filed for seven months.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin took a serious view of the delay and directed that the counter would be accepted only after the cost was paid to the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, within one week.
The PIL was filed by Mandadi Madhav Reddy of Pedda Mangalaram, Moinabad mandal, alleging that authorities failed to act against unauthorised construction of Ananda Conventions at Kothwalguda, which was reportedly built by dumping gravel in the FTL area of Himayatsagar. He stated that Neo Conventions, Arya Conventions, KLN Conventions and K Conventions had taken up major construction activities along the Shankarpally main road in Janwada, falling within the protected limits of GO 111, meant to protect the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar.
The petitioner expressed concern that gatherings of 3,000–5,000 people at these venues generate sewage and solid waste that is discharged into the reservoir, contributing to air and water pollution and causing irreversible ecological damage. He sought strict enforcement of GO 111 and Telangana Building Rules, 2012 in the interest of public health and environmental safety.
The court had earlier issued notice to the Chief Secretary and several agencies, including the irrigation department, HMDA, GHMC, HMWS&SB, PCB and the Lake Protection Committee, directing them to file counters. The matter has now been posted to December 30.
