HYDERABAD: Anticipating legal hurdles ahead of taking up restoration and comprehensive development of as many as 20 city lakes under Mission Kakatiya, GHMC has decided to take a pro-active step, much to the surprise of many. The corporation, considering the fact that a majority of these lakes are located in densely populated areas where several hundreds of people have private patta lands that in fact fall within the Full Tank Level (FTL), Conservation zone or Buffer zone of lakes, is mulling filing caveat petitions in Courts.
There is a possibility of pattadars approaching court seeking a stay to the project and in this context, GHMC has sought permission from its Standing Committee to accord green signal for engaging three advocates as Standing Counsel to exclusively deal with cases, if any, pertaining to these lakes.
State government has repeatedly expressed its keenness to go ahead with the project regardless of the encroachments. GHMC officials told Express if the lakes are to be restored to its glory, clearing the encroachments and those possessing patta lands falling in FTL and buffer zones should be allocated alternate lands. There are chances of pattadars approaching the Courts and that would halt the project.
For 20 lakes, the State has earmarked `402 crore of which `20.34 crore would be utilised for sewage diversion where as the rest would be used for developmental works.
Mission Kakatiya
These works would be taken up under ‘’Mission Kakatiya’’ programme which needs to be implemented even in the urban areas with under ‘Restoration and Comprehensive Development of Urban Lakes’ identifying at least one lake in a constituency.GHMC has already prepared the conceptual plans with detailed estimates for all 20 lakes in and around the city.
Pvt parties for 3 lakes
Of the 20 lakes, for three lakes namely Durgam Cheruvu, Nallagandla Cheruvu and Malka Cheruvu, three private companies have expressed their willingness to bear the cost of restoration under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds