HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, on Thursday, issued notices to senior government officials directing them to furnish a report on the deteriorating condition of ponds and lakes due to rampant illegal constructions in the city and the steps taken to protect the water bodies within four weeks.
Justice EV Venugopal had written a letter citing a newspaper report which shed light on the threat posed to water bodies in city as land grabbers were encroaching upon ponds and constructing villas in Nalas.
Taking cognisance of the issue, the division bench converted the report into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and asked the chief secretary, principal secretaries of various departments, commissioners and district collectors to provide a detailed account of the measures taken to curb illegal constructions within water bodies and the government’s efforts to safeguard them. Failure to respond adequately within the stipulated time frame could lead to further legal action by the high court, the bench noted.