HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday sought responses from several senior government officials to a contempt plea alleging non-compliance with its earlier directions regarding illegal constructions within the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of Salkam Cheruvu.
Justice NV Shravan Kumar issued notices to Municipal Administration Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath; the chairman of the Lake Protection Committee; School Education department Principal Secretary Yogita Rana; Irrigation and CAD department Principal Secretary E Sridhar; and Principal Secretary, Revenue, Lokesh Kumar. The Hyderabad collector was also impleaded as a respondent in the contempt proceedings.
The contempt petition, filed by advocate Vijay Gopal, alleges that the authorities have failed to comply with the court’s earlier directions concerning illegal constructions within the FTL of the tank, where institutions run by Fatima Owaisi Educational Institutions and Salar-E-Millat Educational Trust are situated.
The petitioner contended that the final notification issued in respect of the lake was erroneous and contrary to the state government’s earlier stand before the court that the entire Survey No. 62 fell within the FTL of the tank. He questioned the subsequent stand that the educational institutions located in the middle of the lake were outside the FTL.
On April 30, 2026, the court had directed the Irrigation and Revenue departments to conduct a joint survey, determine the FTL and submit a detailed report on constructions within the lake area. It had also directed action against officials who failed to act on complaints and instructed the School Education department to shift students from illegally constructed buildings to alternative institutions.