HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday issued notices to multiple authorities, asking them to list within four weeks the steps taken to curb pollution of Himayatsagar and Osmansagar, the twin reservoirs that supply drinking water to Hyderabad.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) registered on the basis of a letter addressed to the Chief Justice following a news report on deteriorating water quality in the two reservoirs. The matter has been posted to March 26, 2026.
Notices were issued to the State of Telangana through its chief secretary, principal secretaries of the Municipal Administration and Irrigation departments, the state Pollution Control Board, the commissioners of GHMC, HMDA and HMWSSB, and the registrar of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU).
The court directed the respondents to file comprehensive affidavits detailing measures taken to prevent pollution of the lakes. This includes steps towards setting up sewage treatment plants, treatment of wastewater, and prevention of sewage discharge, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off into the reservoirs.
The PIL stems from a study conducted by two professors and a research scholar from MANUU, which concluded that water from both lakes was unfit for drinking under Bureau of Indian Standards norms.
The study found Osmansagar to be contaminated with heavy metals and faecal coliform bacteria, pointing to microbial pollution. Himayatsagar was reported to be affected by untreated sewage from nearby villages, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off.
It also recorded a steady decline in water quality over the years, with increased organic pollution leading to algal growth, reduced dissolved oxygen levels and harmful algal blooms, posing risks to aquatic life.
After examining the report, the court observed that regulatory authorities, including the PCB, must explain steps taken to ensure compliance with environmental standards and prevent further degradation. GHMC and the MAUD department were specifically directed to outline measures adopted to curb the inflow of untreated waste into the lakes.