Telangana High Court Raps HYDRAA Over Lake Demolitions Without Notices
The judge also cautioned those excavating contaminated water from the lake and selling it.
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court has faulted the revenue and irrigation departments HYDRAA for alleged demolitions in the surroundings Suddalavani Kunta, also known as Sunnam Cheruvu, at Allapur of Kukatpally mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, without fixing the full tank level and buffer zone of the lake and without issuing notices to the interested parties.
The judge also cautioned those excavating contaminated water from the lake and selling it. Justice Bhaskar Reddy directed the authorities to seize the tankers and not release them.
Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the High Court directed the government authorities from the revenue, irrigation and municipal departments and HMDA and HYDRAA to verify documents by issuing notices to the residents of SIET Maruthi Hills Colony Welfare Association of Guttala Begumpet and its members, if they wanted to proceed with rejuvenation of the lake.
The court made it clear that if there was no dispute with regard to the land in Survey No.s 12 and 13 of Guttala Begumpet, and Survey No. 31 of Allapur, HYDRAA must make an application seeking appropriate orders from the High Court for proceeding with the rejuvenation works. Status quo shall be maintained for two weeks, the judge said.
The judge was dealing with a petition filed by SIET Maruthi Hills Colony Welfare Association and others, who complained that the authorities are marking the alleged FTL/ buffer Zone of Sunnam Cheruvu without giving them notice them and contrary to its report filed in before the National Green Tribunal, Chennai. They requested the court to direct the authorities to fix the FTL and buffer zone by duly conducting a survey as per the village map. The petitioners alleged that HYDRAA was interfering in civil disputes over the boundaries of the villages of Guttala Begumpet and Allapur, in the guise of rejuvenation of the tank.
The High Court in March had issued status quo orders directing both parties to not further proceed. The court had also considered that there were inter se disputes on fixation of village boundaries between the land in Survey No.s 12 and 13 of Guttala Begumpet and Survey No. 31 of Allapur and had directed the authorities to survey the land in accordance with the Telangana Land Revenue Act, 1317 Fasli and the Telangana Survey and Boundaries Act, 1923 and to file the report before the court within four weeks.
During a recent hearing, residents complained to the court that despite its orders to conduct survey within four weeks after issuing notices, HYDRAA was frequently interfering with the possession and enjoyment of the plots and houses, without issuing notice and causing hindrance and obstruction.
Kovvuturi Pavan Kumar, counsel for HYDRAA, submitted that some residents were drawing water from the bore-wells, which was contaminated, in the land and selling it. There was a report of the Telangana Pollution Control Board that the water drawn from the land was causing health hazards. He submitted that in view of the monsoon, if the tanks were not rejuvenated, there was every possibility of adjoining colonies being filled with the floodwater.
Justice Bhaskar Reddy made it clear to the HYDRAA to make an application for seeking appropriate orders from the court for proceeding with the tank rejuvenation work.
