Govt mum as Fox Sagar lake encroached

Jeedimetla: While on one hand, the State government is holding high level talks with senior bureaucrats over strengthening laws pertaining to the protection and conservation of water bodies in Telangana, ironically on the other hand, the ignorance of revenue and irrigation officials is costing the historic Fox Sagar lake its Full Tank Level (FTL) lands.

Spread across 500 acres in Qutubullapur constituency, the water body is slowly diminishing at various stretches with encroachers unlawfully constructing buildings on its FTL and buffer zone spaces. The lake which once served as a drinking water source for the British soldiers in 1897, today stands helpless as its stakeholders choose to maintain a deafening silence while the land sharks pocket-in the profit.

In a shocking revelation, it has been found that the lake's waters too have not been spared by the encroachers who developed constructions atop it, by filling the water body with mud. In fact, the area has also been christened as Venkateshwara Colony but call it a nature's response to human atrocities or mere bad luck, no resident could still occupy these houses given its extreme geographical topography.

But what is even more disappointing is that those officials who were supposed to protect the lake, took no action against the culprits fearing the wrath of the big wigs or political honchos behind the unlawful activities in the area. Moreover, the real estate brokers are selling away the FTL lands to people claiming that they are legally granted the "pattas" of the open spaces near the lake of which only a few are turning out to be genuine. But here's where the real question comes! Lawfully speaking, government doesn't generally give away FTL lands to individuals, then how did a few possess documents of ownership in those places.

When enquired Dundigal-Gandimaisamma MRO Mallesh shared in a telephonic conversation with The Hans India, that these lands were given during the rule of Telugu Desam Party in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state and that they were allocated after the TDP government fell short of lands that were to be rightfully granted to the beneficiaries of a welfare programme. However, when asked if the grants could be questioned and the beneficiaries be allotted houses under the double-bedroom project, to protect the lake, the MRO quickly replied that it was not in their hands.

Residents too opine that the lands bearing survey numbers 109 and 112 should not have been allocated to the beneficiaries and that is one of the reckless and hasty decisions taken by policy makers of the then government which is now become a cause of concern to dwellers living in the colonies around the lake as during the rainy season, the lake water might flood the nearby areas. " It is shameful that those who are supposed to curb the crime are actually letting it happen for their own personal interests! If the allegation is not true, then why has not action been taken by this government to protect the water body given its historic significance?" questions Kumar, an IT Employee.

BY Pathi Madhav