Hyderabad: Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court took up for hearing a writ plea challenging the public auction of about 15 acres of land belonging to the Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple at Wanaparthy. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Anjaneyulu Goud and eight others, all claiming to be landless small farmers residing in Thippaipalli. It was contended that they sought to be dispossessed from the land in question. They said that they had been cultivating the land for so long that they could claim to be lessees. It was contended that the rights of lessees of landless poor was protected by the Endowments Act. It was further alleged that the lease under challenge was without proper permission from the endowments department. An auction notice made on May 9 had scheduled the auction to May 17 and this was contrary to the rules, it was alleged. The judge made clear that the auction may go on, and the result would be subject to further orders of the court.
NHAI should take note of discharge of drain water into farmlands: HC
Justice S. Nanda of the Telangana High Court declared that it was the duty of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to examine aspects relating to the discharge of drain water into farmlands while laying highways. The judge, while directing the NHAI to do so, also directed it to ensure that notice is given to the person at whose instance the order is made and pass orders in conformity with the principles of natural justice. A 65-year-old agriculturist from Kadthal moved the High Court challenging the action of NHAI and that of the gram panchayat in draining/leaving sewage water into his agriculture land as unconstitutional and sought damages of `20 lakh.
Senior counsel V. Raghunath pointed out the respondents had taken up laying of National Highway No. 765, at a point along the stretch from Hyderabad to Dindi and had laid a canal alongside the highway to drain rainwater. The canal abruptly ended at the petitioner’s land as a consequence of which water was being drained into the land,submerging his crop and subjecting him to untold misery in terms of loss of crop and mental agony apart from financial loss. Further the local inhabitants had given connection from their household toilets to the canal, which was being used more for sewage water than rainwater. It was the case of the authorities that way back in 2016, the ministry had written to direct the local panchayat department to disconnect all unauthorised household drains in Kadthal and also requested the state PWD to obtain clarification from the revenue department regarding the land use pattern and reasons for its conversion from an erstwhile course of natural drain to build up area/agricultural lands/plots on either side of minor bridge location at Km 43+417.
Justice Nanda took cognisance of the fact that the Kadthal gram panchayat had given their consent for disposal of drain water at the location and in principle approval had been granted for disposal of drain discharge under contingency head of sanctioned work and further that it was the obligation of the NHAI for proper disposal of drain discharge. She pointed out that the stretch of land in question fell in the jurisdiction of NHAI PD, Hyderabad, and that the disconnection of the illegal drain connection has to be done by the NHAI with the coordination of the local body. The judge accordingly disposed of the writ petition without reference to the claim for compensation.
