Shashwati Chowdhury
Published on: June 13, 2022 at 17:38 IST
The Telangana High Court ordered both the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to file counters within four weeks on why they were failing to protect the Hussain Sagar’s full tank level (FTL) area.
It also asked GHMC and HMDA commissioners to appear in Court if they do not file their counter.
During the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation seeking a summary ban on constructions within the FTL area of Hussain Sagar, a Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili issued an interim order.
The Bench had previously converted a letter made by social activist Lubna Sarvat on the subject into a PIL and sought responses from the GHMC, HMDA, and others. Despite the fact that the High Court ordered them to stop any construction in the FTL area two and a half years ago, the CHMC and HMDA commissioners have not updated the High Court on their efforts.
Lubna claimed in her complaint that massive constructions are being carried out on a 10-acre plot of land within FTL, as well as the laying of bitumen roads.
To assist the court, the Bench nominated Senior Counsel L Ravi Chander as “amicuscuriae”.
“It is unfortunate that the authorities are taking a lot of time to respond to a sensitive subject. Both the commissioners of GHMC and HMDA will have to appear before us if they do not file their counters now,” the Bench remarked.