Implement Measures Suggested by Expert Panel To Save Durgam Cheruvu: HC

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the GHMC, Hyderabad Metro Water Works and Sewerage Board, and revenue, irrigation, and municipal administration departments to apprise it by February 28 about implementing the measures suggested by the high-level committee (HLC) for restoration of durgam cheruvu.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar, told the government counsel not to come on that day with vague submissions and unpreparedness. The authorities apparently don’t care about future generations and about preserving the iconic status of durgam cheruvu.

The bench was dealing with a suo motu PIL regarding the choke on sewage. On a previous occasion, the High Court had appointed a committee, comprising Dr. Atul Narayan Vaidya, director, of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, principal secretary, of irrigation and Command Area Development (CAD) department, and M. Shanthi Vardhani, secretary of Telangana High Court Legal Services Committee, to inspect the lake and submit a report based on their findings, which did on Wednesday.

The report states that sewage of approximately 20 MLD runs from Madhapur through a channel of capacity 30 MLD. There are two STPs for sewage treatment of only 12 MLD. The remaining quantity of untreated sewage coming from Madhapur is let out through another drain that finally goes into Malkam cheruvu.

They found traces of heavy metals like iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc apart from metalloids such as arsenic and boron in the lake water. The committee submitted to the court that as per the FTL boundary map, there were 78 structures within the FTL level and 146 structures in the buffer zone. All these buildings have been provided civic amenities despite being located in FTL and the buffer zone. Fencing work of the lake has been completed except for a length of 300 metres because of objections by landlords and pending litigations.

Based on the situation, the committee suggested both short and long-term measures for the restoration and preservation of durgam cheruvu.

Appreciating the measures suggested by the committee, the bench directed the authorities to come up with an action plan on going about the measures suggested by the committee.