HC pulls up ‘lethargic’ lake panel, demands list of FTL Buffer Zones of water bodies in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: On Thursday, the Telangana High Court pulled up the Lake Protection Committee, Hyderabad, for not apprising the public of the FTL Buffer Zones of water bodies in the state. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, directed the member convenor of the committee to submit the Full Tank Level (FTL) buffer zones of lakes in Hyderabad city by August 11, 2023, and later notify the same for all the lakes scattered across the state.

The court expressed its serious concern over the lethargic and lackadaisical attitude of the Lake Protection Committee, a statutory body constituted under the GO 157 by the BRS government. The court said that it has not taken any initiative, since its inception 15 years ago, and has not notified the FTL buffer zones of the water bodies in the state.

The Division Bench also came down heavily on the officials of the Irrigation Department and revenue officials for turning a blind eye to the illegal construction of an auditorium and extra classrooms to the existing building on 4 acres of land falling within the FTL Buffer Zone of Ramannakunta lake.

HC allows construction on disputed lake land

The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management had constructed a building within the FTL Buffer Zone of the lake, thereby flouting the Supreme Court orders, which restrained any sort of construction within the FTL Buffer Zone of lakes. The order was supposed to protect the lakes spread across the country so that future generations could benefit from water bodies.

The Bench was adjudicating a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Human Rights and Consumer Protection Cell Trust, against the state for ignoring illegal constructions within the FTL Buffer Zone of the Ramannakunta Lake, despite the status quo orders from the same High Court in June 2023. Further, the senior counsel for the petitioner informed the court that various departments of the state have even accorded requisite permissions for extra construction, despite status quo orders.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the court that the construction of the building is almost complete and all permissions required for raising the building have been obtained. He requested the court to vacate the status quo orders passed by the court in June 2023, keeping in mind the future of students pursuing education at the institution.

CJ Alok Aradhe, after going through the map depicting the FTL Buffer Zone of the Ramannakunta Lake, said that a major portion of the building is not within the FTL Buffer Zone, and only a meagre part of the building is falling within the FTL Buffer Zone.

Keeping in view the future of the students and the undertaking given by the Advocate General of Telangana, that no further construction will be done in the FTL Buffer Zone of the Ramannakunta Lake, the Bench modified its June 5 status quo order and directed the state to go ahead with the construction of the building with riders.

The court ordered the Commissioner of GHMC to file an affidavit stating that future constructions will be done outside the FTL Buffer Zone and the Lake Protection Committee is directed to list FTL Buffer Zones of all water bodies in Hyderabad city by August 11.

The case was adjourned to August 11.