Govt cracks whip against bigwigs; thumbs up to Revanth

The Congress Government in Telangana needs to be appreciated and supported for taking up a massive task to demolish buildings that were constructed in FTL (Full Tank Level) and buffer zones of various lakes in the city constructed by bigwigs.

It is estimated that there were over 2,000 lakes under HMDA limits but over a period of time most of them were encroached. In GHMC limits as of November 2022, records show that over 185 lakes have been encroached and the state government was now taking steps to evict the encroachers and restore the lakes.

In 44 years, the total area of 56 lakes has decreased from 40.35 square kilometers to 16 square kilometers. A 2017 study found that the total acreage of lakes in the city and surrounding areas decreased from 12,535 hectares in 2005 to 2,283 hectares in 2016. Over 40 of the 185 lakes have dried up, and 10 others have become cesspools due to sewage contamination.

Large number of encroachments – 54 – were located on the banks of the Chintal cheruvu (lake) in Gajularamaram area followed by 45 in Bhumruq Dowla Lake in Rajendra Nagar. The Gandipet lake, which is one of the primary water sources of drinking water for Hyderabad, had 24 encroachments – 14 in the Khanapur area and 10 in the Chilkur area. Bandlacheruvu which was spread over 102 acres which is part of chain tanks in Bandlaguda area had shrunk to 50 acres in last three decades.

Most of the encroachments are buildings with unsanctioned floors and structures having asbestos sheets while a few of them are temporary structures which have encroached into the buffer zone of Nalas. The Government Order (GO) 111 was in effect in 84 villages across seven mandals in Telangana, covering 1.32 lakh acres of land: Shamshabad, Shabad, Rajendranagar, Chevella, Moinabad, Shankarpally, and Kothur.

The order was introduced 27 years ago by the Telugu Desam Government to protect the catchment areas of the Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs, which were the main source of drinking water for Hyderabad. The order restricted construction and polluting industries to prevent the resources from being affected by development and pollution.

But then in the last decade, Hyderabad city had witnessed a new culture called the farm house culture. One would have appreciated if it was for the purpose of agriculture of horticulture not commercial activity or to construct palatial farm houses which resulted in the water bodies getting shrunk and lakes getting polluted.

In September 2023, the government revoked GO 111, releasing the land for development, as it felt the order was no longer necessary because the city no longer depends on the reservoirs for drinking water. However, some scientists have suggested that reinstating GO 111 may be the best way to protect Hyderabad from ecological disasters.

The efforts made by environmentalists to protect the lakes went in vain. Though some approached the National Green Tribunal, some of the orders of the Tribunal were challenged in High Court and even while the legal battle was on constructions went on unhindered and finally in September 2023, the BRS government cancelled GO 111 lifting all restrictions.

Now that the Chief Minister has taken up a major task of removing all such encroachments, one needs to wait and watch if he would go ahead and take up encroachments cutting across party lines or not. As of now it appears that he is not bothered about the electoral gains or loss in 2029 and interestingly he is getting support from majority sections of the public. Only those who are affected would oppose and try to politicise the issue. Revanth deserves a Thumbs UP for his act.