GHMC Commissioner and Hyd Collector appeared before HC and tendered apology

Hyderabad: GHMC Commissioner D. Ronald Rose and Hyderabad district collector Anudeep Durishetty on  Wednesday personally appeared before the High Court and tendered an apology to the court for  the non-compliance of the court orders issued 10 years ago, as they did not take any action against illegal construction made in tank bed areas in GHMC limits.

Both the officers submitted the status report furnishing the particulars of the action taken by them for the removal of encroachment on the tank beds of Durgam Cheruvu, Sunnam Cheruvu, Pedda Cheruvu  at Pirvadiguda, China Dhamara Cheruvu at  Dundigal,  China Rayuni Cheruvu,

Ganga Ram Pedda Cheruvu, Medikunta Cheruvu near Sriranganatha Temple at Nanakramguda, Nalla Cheruvu at Uppal, Hasmat Peta Cheruvu,  Bairamalguda, Peerzadiguda Cheruvu at Uppal Panchayat, Nallagandla Cheruvu at Serilingampally , Ambheer Cheruvu in Dundigal mandal and Golidodda  Cheruvu in Serilingampally municipality.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar was dealing with a petition filed in 2007, which was registered on the basis of a communication addressed to the Chief Justice of the High Court. The subject matter of the writ petition was illegal construction made by the encroachers in the tank bed areas of several lakes.

During the previous hearing, the Chief Justice Bench found that the petition had been pending since 2007 and that the court orders issued on June 10, 2013, directing the revenue department to prepare a fresh report, were not complied.

The revenue department was further directed to mark the full-tank level of the tanks in question and fix the boundaries and contours of the said lakes by stones and the district collectors of Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad and the GHMC commissioner were directed to prepare a joint report about the status of these lakes.

Hence, the GHMC Commissioner, District Collectors of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy were summoned to appear before the court. Following  the orders, the GHMC Commissioner and  Hyderabad Collector appeared before the court.

In the status report, they submitted that the state government had taken steps to protect the lakes by marking the FTL of the lakes and thwarting the efforts of the encroachers from further damaging the lakes. “Several writ petitions were filed by encroachers in the High Court and obtained interim orders.  Pending adjudication and the pendency of the writ petitions have created hurdles and hindrances for the officials to proceed further in protecting the lakes from further damage.”

Harender Pershad , special counsel for the government, informed the court that the Ranga Reddy District Collector could not appear before the court and had filed an affidavit seeking exemption, which was allowed. The court directed the Ranga Reddy collector to appear on January 22, 2024.