Though High court ordered to demolish 80 illegal constructions since November 2015, GHMC failed to carry out the order.
Environmentalists said that "the GHMC not only avoids pulling down structures despite court orders, but it also does not make serious efforts to vacate stay orders in a large number of cases against illegal encroachments. In all, there are over 3,300 cases pertaining to the Town Planning department of GHMC pending in various courts."
Environmentalist Dr. Lubna Sarwath said a “contempt of court case was filed against GHMC and Ranga Reddy district collectorate authorities after they failed to demolish illegal structures on the full tank level area of Kapra lake despite being directed to demolish."
“We are pursuing the case further. The officials claimed that they had taken action and demolished the illegal structures,” said Mr. Sateesh of Save Our Urban Lakes.
“A major portion of the unauthorized structures have not been demolished. We are going to court again,” said Mr. Sateesh of Save Our Urban Lakes (Soul). However, contempt of court cases has not been filed against GHMC despite the civic body not demolishing illegal structures.
Town Planning officers take refuge under the same court orders, which also directs GHMC to conduct a “last hearing” in the presence of the petitioner and defender before pulling down the structure. This is done to give a final opportunity to the affected party as such a hearing would also make him or her aware of the time and date on which GHMC would pull down the structure.
Municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao has also asked GHMC to focus on big encroachers, big realtors such as Ramky, who encroached on the buffer zone of the Yellamma Cheruvu near the KPHB Colony and got a court stay, N-Convention (which encroached on three acres of Thummidikunta Lake, Madhapur and Talkie Town at Miyapur Lake do not feature in the GHMC list.
Ms. Lubna Sarawath, from Save Our Lakes, said, “In 2014, soon after the TRS took charge, officials cracked down on N-Convention. The HMDA had earlier appointed a consultant that showed the total spread of the lake as 25 acres. However, the irrigation department had another map showing the lake spread as 29 acres. HMDA on its website too showed Thummidikunta Lake as 25 acre- this was to hide the encroachment by N–Convention, which occupied the buffer zone and FTL. The government later said the case would need legal study and since then nothing has happened.”
He added "meanwhile, Ramky Estates ( the group of villas) was constructed within the FTL of Yellamma Cherruvu near KPHB. The party had gone to the court and got a stay and there has been no effort by the GHMC to further pursue the case.”
“Massive constructions are on towards the right side of the bund. Very recently we had complained to the MRO of Banglaguda but instead of mentioning big encroachers, they have listed small rooms for demolition. The entire MM Colony is raised on the lake,” added Ms. Sarawath.
Regarding Kapra Lake, activist Mr Satish Kumar said, “A contempt case has been filed in the High Court against G. Bal Reddy, district collector of Ranga Reddy, for a restoration of Kapra Lake. Notices have been issued for non-compliance of an eviction order of illegal construction and for no further constructions on Kapra Cheruvu. According to the High Court order, the Ranga Reddy collector had admitted in his counter affidavit that a 22-meter compound wall had been illegally built by a private builder at the cheruvu and the collector had said that the encroachments would be removed within eight weeks. However, till date nothing has been done.”
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BY M. DIVYA SRI
