Gopalpur lake, which was once a source of water and a lifeline for Karimnagar city, had spread over 28.10 acres. However, this has now shrunk to around 15 acres only. Most of its land was filled and used for Haritha Haram by the Indian Medical Association.
The land mafia has sold much of its land as real estate for building convention halls and godowns. The land sharks have not spared nalas even that lead to Gopalpur lake.
In Sitarampur village, the Mellakunta Cheruvu villas were constructed and even a temple was constructed in Palasamudram lake. Construction of high-rise apartments has obliterated the Orakunta lake spreading over 8.02 acres in Teegala Guttapalli village from the map.
The district general secretary of the All India Forward Block, Bandari Shekar, said the land sharks in nexus with various government officials encroached on the Brahmani Kunta lake on the outskirts of the Choppadandi municipality.
Officials gave patta for six acres to a political leader while the land mafia occupied a major portion of the catchment area of a lake to sell it as real estate, he added.
Several buildings were constructed in the FTL and buffer zones of the Mathadi cheruvu, Surappa cheruvu, Tumma cheruvu, Bhimanna cheruvu and Maredukunta lake in the surrounding villages of the Kondagattu temple in Maliala mandal of Jagtial district.
Officials gave permission to land sharks by taking lakhs of rupees who in turn converted the land into plots and palmed them off to innocent people.
The deputy engineer of the irrigation department, Tirupati, said the issue of illegal construction in the FTL and buffer zones of certain lakes has come to the notice. Revenue officials have been instructed to conduct surveys and fix boundaries of lakes.
In Rajanna Sircilla district, a district court issued orders to remove a shopping complex and based on the court order, a shopping complex was demolished.
Locals urged the Congress government to form a HYDRAA like unit in the district to protect the government lands including the lakes and tanks.
