File status report over water bodies in HMDA limits: Telangana High Court

Telangana High Court orders status report on number of lakes in Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority limit

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday (November 27, 2024) instructed the State government and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to file a status report on the number of lakes located within the latter’s jurisdiction and the steps taken to check further encroachments of the water bodies.

A Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao, while hearing a suo motu taken up PIL petition, reiterated the importance of keeping a close watch on the encroachments of the water bodies. The matter was posted to December 30 for next hearing.

In a separate matter, Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the High Court directed the trial courts to comply with the guidelines issued by the court before granting stay or other interim injunction orders stalling removal of illegal encroachments within Full Tank Level or river bed zone of Musi river.

The Judge, disposing of a batch of writ petitions challenging the attempts of the State government to demolish their houses and structures along Musi river bed, said the trial courts should follow the guidelines issued by the Division Bench of the High Court in Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad vs M/s Philomena Education Foundation of India-Hyderabad. The officials should also adhere to the circular of instructions passed by the High Court on November 8, 2023 in the matters.

The Judge made it clear that petitioners or any other individuals should not stop the surveys being convened by the officials for fixing boundaries of the FTL, buffer zone and river bed zone of Musi river. Police should provide security cover to officers of Irrigation, Revenue, HYDRAA and municipal departments in this regard.

Justice Bhaskar Reddy instructed the authorities to initiate criminal action against persons indulging in destruction of rivers, water bodies, ponds and lakes as per the provisions of Telangana Irrigation Act-1357 Fasli and WALTA Act-2002. The government should remove temporary or unauthorised structures/constructions on the tank bed, FTL or river bed zone of Musi river in a time-bound manner.

The officials must also ensure that water flowing into Musi river was not contaminated.