Closely monitor encroachments around Pedda Cheruvu FTL: HC to officials

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the Ranga Reddy district collector, the tahsildar of Balapur Mandal, the commissioner of Meerpet municipality, and HMDA officials to closely monitor the Full Tank Level (FTL) and Buffer Zone areas of the Pedda Cheruvu tank in Meerpet village, Balapur Mandal, to make sure that no construction is allowed.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji, ordered the authorities to submit a detailed report on the FTL and buffer zone areas of the tank.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Akula Padma, a resident of Meerpet village, who complained that the authorities, including the Ranga Reddy collector, had failed to respond to complaints concerning Pedda Cheruvu encroachment and ongoing constructions in the lake's FTL and buffer zone, which were in violation of the norms.

The petitioner contended that because of the constructions, dumping of soil, and boundaries built in the FTL areas, the colonies upstream of the lake were swamped by heavy rains, and residents suffered for weeks with stagnant water.  Further, the petitioner submitted that the massive multi-storey constructions were built in the wet lands surrounding the lakes without permission from the irrigation department.

Senior counsel for the petitioner, Bollu Rachana Reddy, appealed to the court to direct the authorities to restore the FTL lands to Full Tank Level, cleaning its inflow and outflow nalas. The counsel also prayed the court to form a committee for the development of Pedda Cheruvu and to take stringent punitive action against any erring officials who allowed unauthorized constructions or encroachments in the FTL and buffer zone areas. The High Court bench ordered the authorities to submit their responses to the petitioner's concerns.