HYDERABAD: Expressing concern over the encroachment of lakes, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State government, district Collectors and other authorities concerned to constitute lake protection committees, with the district Superintendents of Police (SPs) as one of its members for all the lakes.
A division bench directed all the Collectors, and Commissioners of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take steps for the identification of full tank level (FTL) of all lakes and survey all illegal structures on culverts and buffer zones.
The division bench told them to initiate necessary measures for the removal of illegal structures. “It is the duty of the State as well as the citizens to protect the ecology and environment,” the bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, observed. It passed this order in a suo moto PIL, which is based on news reports regarding protection of lakes.
The bench also directed the government to submit a detailed report regarding the status of lakes, encroachments and other issues by December 10. The bench posted the matter to December 10 for further hearing.
