Telangana High Court
Hyderabad: Coming down hard on the ruling Congress government over the proposed development project for the Musi riverbank in Telangana, the High Court has directed government agencies to take steps to ensure full tank level or remove unauthorized structures in the river . The court also said that the encroachment removal work must be completed within a given time frame.
The High Court gave this order
In a recent order, the court issued a slew of directions while disposing of a batch of writ petitions questioning the action of the government powers in their efforts to demolish residential houses. The court directed government authorities, including the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Property Conservation and Monitoring Agency (HYDRAA), to strictly implement the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in various judgments by issuing notices to encroachers along along the banks of the river to remove unauthorized constructions.
The court gave these instructions to the government.
The court directed the agencies to take immediate steps to eliminate illegal and unauthorized encroachments in the FTL, riverbed zone and buffer zone and ensure that no sewage pollutes the water flowing into the Musi River. The court directed the government to conduct a detailed socio-economic study of the people whose properties are affected by the rejuvenation of the Musi River and accommodate them in suitable places as per government policies. The court also directed the government to inform the owners whether their lands are “Patta lands or Shikam Patta lands” and give them adequate compensation for their acquisition.
The court said government agencies should initiate criminal action against encroachers and land grabbers involved in the destruction of rivers and other water bodies under the Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 (WALTA Act) and other provisions. The court said the government has the power to constitute Hydra, under the Telangana Irrigation Act and other provisions.
The petitioners had given this argument.
The petitioners had argued that government agencies did not have the power to remove existing structures. Because they were built after obtaining permission from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). They allege that government agencies were “demolishing” their houses without any investigation and without issuing notices on the grounds that these houses were under the FTL as well as the Musi River buffer zone.
The government informed the court that the Musi Riverfront Development Project is designed to transform the area by rejuvenating the river that runs through Hyderabad, restoring clean and free-flowing water, improving the transport network, creating international standard streetscapes and reviving heritage sites.
Input-PTI
