Hyderabad: Encroachers on target in nalas' survey

Hyderabad: Several government departments, led by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), have held a multi-disciplinary survey to find out alleged encroachments by six construction companies in nalas and lakes in Tellapur. Following the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) orders to submit a ground report, the HMDA, along with the Panchayat raj and Revenue Departments, on Monday conducted surveys of the lakes in Tellapur.

HMDA Commissioner T. Chiranjeevulu said, “The allegation made by the petitioners to the NGT is that these construction companies have encroached on the nala and lake. We have started a joint survey. We filed a detailed counter in the NGT earlier stating that  the construction companies, except one, have got clearances and permissions. But we are now looking at the nala and lake encroachment angle, if any.”

The petition was filed with the NGT Southern Zone in Chennai by the chairman of the Human Rights & Consumer Protection Cell Trust, Thakur Rajkumar Singh. The respondents are Rajapushpa Properties Pvt. Ltd, Vision Avenues Private Limited, Mega Meadows, Bonsai Housing, Pradeep Holdings and the HMDA Commissioner. The NGT had earlier given orders that six ventures, the BHEL Employees venture by Sankalp near Vanam Cheruvu downflow nala, Bonzai Venture on Tellapur-Nallagandla road, Galaxy Venture near Mayfair venture,  Infiniti Homes, Telapur, Osman Nagar Road, Pradeep Reddy’s venture near Vanam Cheruvu downflow nala, and Raja Pushpa Venture - Tellapur, Osman Nagar Road, shall not be permitted to proceed further.

The petitioner Thakur Rajkumar Singh said that he has filed the petition in order to seek the removal of encroachments that have come up in the water-bodies and their inflow/outflow nalas — full tank level and buffer zone of Vanam Cheruvu, Medla Cheruvu and Cheli Kunta, located in Tellapur village, Ramachandrapuram mandal in Medak district.