HC directs TS on take steps to preserve water
By : Vujjini Vamshidhar
Update: 2024-03-14 03:59 GMT
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the state government and its authorities to ensure that the people of Telangana sate don’t face water scarcity in the coming summer. It also directed the state government to review water levels and impose restrictions for the use of drinking water for gardening purposes.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar, directed the authorities to implement permanent rain water harvesting strategies and structures.
The court directed the principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development, to ensure that a one-time exercise is undertaken to identify all the structures which do not have Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) and to take appropriate action. The court directed the principal secretary, panchayat raj and rural development department to ensure that the provisions of the RWHS are put in place in rural local bodies.
The division bench further directed the state government to ensure the implementation of GO 49 and examine the necessity of installing water recycling plants even for smaller structures.
It further directed competent authorities to ensure that a notification under Section 11 of the Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002, is issued and the Ground Water Department, Government of Telangana, is directed to carry out a one-time exercise to find out whether the existing borewells across the state are complying the provisions of the Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 and to take necessary action.
The state government was directed to consider the necessity of introduction of water preservation, distribution and reutilisation in the school curriculum for class 3 to class 5 in schools across the state and higher level information for classes 6 and above.
The principal secretary of panchayat raj and rural development department, was also directed by the court to ensure the implementation of the provisions of Section 43(6)(ii) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018.
The court directed the state government to apprise the court about the Constitution of Watchdog Committees and fixing timelines for them. Earlier, the court appointed amicus curiae in the water scarcity issue, suggested to the court, on the necessity of Watchdog Committees . Based on his suggestion, the court directed the state government about such a constitution.
The court directed Additional Advocate General Imran Khan to submit the compliance report by discussing with the government. The court gave these directions in the taken-up petition of the year 2005, based on a letter addressed to the court by one P.R.Subas Chandran, a journalist, highlighting the problem of non-availability of water in the state. Directions were sought to implement the measures for the preservation of water.
This petition has been pending since then. When the petition came for hearing on Wednesday, the government pleader submitted that the writ petition has been rendered infructuous. But, the court felt that this issue of water related problems never came to end.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar, directed the authorities to implement permanent rain water harvesting strategies and structures.
The court directed the principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development, to ensure that a one-time exercise is undertaken to identify all the structures which do not have Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS) and to take appropriate action. The court directed the principal secretary, panchayat raj and rural development department to ensure that the provisions of the RWHS are put in place in rural local bodies.
The division bench further directed the state government to ensure the implementation of GO 49 and examine the necessity of installing water recycling plants even for smaller structures.
It further directed competent authorities to ensure that a notification under Section 11 of the Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002, is issued and the Ground Water Department, Government of Telangana, is directed to carry out a one-time exercise to find out whether the existing borewells across the state are complying the provisions of the Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 and to take necessary action.
The state government was directed to consider the necessity of introduction of water preservation, distribution and reutilisation in the school curriculum for class 3 to class 5 in schools across the state and higher level information for classes 6 and above.
The principal secretary of panchayat raj and rural development department, was also directed by the court to ensure the implementation of the provisions of Section 43(6)(ii) of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018.
The court directed the state government to apprise the court about the Constitution of Watchdog Committees and fixing timelines for them. Earlier, the court appointed amicus curiae in the water scarcity issue, suggested to the court, on the necessity of Watchdog Committees . Based on his suggestion, the court directed the state government about such a constitution.
The court directed Additional Advocate General Imran Khan to submit the compliance report by discussing with the government. The court gave these directions in the taken-up petition of the year 2005, based on a letter addressed to the court by one P.R.Subas Chandran, a journalist, highlighting the problem of non-availability of water in the state. Directions were sought to implement the measures for the preservation of water.
This petition has been pending since then. When the petition came for hearing on Wednesday, the government pleader submitted that the writ petition has been rendered infructuous. But, the court felt that this issue of water related problems never came to end.