Report on water bodies in Hyderabad presents grim picture: HC

Telangana High Court expresses concern over pollution in Hyderabad lakes, directs officials to take immediate remedial measures.

The Telangana High Court on Tuesday observed that the report, presented by a committee of two advocates constituted by it to examine 13 lakes in Hyderabad, presents a grim picture of the condition of water bodies.

A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, after perusing the report, noted that pollution in the lakes was harming the environment. The bench expressed concern that some people in the vicinity of Nalla Cheruvu of Uppal was using the contaminated water to grow vegetables. The bench said: “This will have serious effects on the environment and also pose serious threat to the health of people...”.

It directed Additional Advocate General Mohammed Imran Khan to ensure that officials concerned stop people from growing vegetables using the contaminated water. The advocates committee had met officials of the GHMC and Revenue department before examining the water bodies.

The bench expressed dismay over the diminishing natural habitat as a result of high levels of pollution in the water bodies in the vicinity of the State capital. “.....The natural habitat of various birds and fish have diminished due to water pollution...due to dumping debris and trash in the lakes”, the bench observed.

Responding to the findings of the report, the bench told the AAG to instruct the officials to immediately initiate remedial measures for the preservation and protection of the 13 water bodies in the city and file an action taken report by April 29. The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by a NGO in 2007.

The committee in its report pointed out that majority of the water bodies have no fence, no surveillance cameras and guards to check encroachments. People operating function halls near the water bodies were dumping trash resulting in shrinkage of lakes.