Andhra Pradesh HC takes up probe into buildings encroaching waterbodies

VIJAYAWADA:  The High Court on Monday said it would take up suo motu enquiry into several constructions that have come up encroaching the waterbodies in the State. The court held the government responsible for protecting waterbodies and questioned the State for taking up the construction by encroaching the waterbodies.A division bench of Chief Justice Prasanth Kumar Mishra and Justice DVSS Somayajulu made the observations while considering a petition filed by the panchayat secretary of Ampolu village, Srikakulam, challenging a single bench verdict.

The single bench had earlier ordered the government against taking up any construction in the Amplou waterbody, while hearing a petition filed by a farmer, G Venkataramana Murthy, and another farmer seeking the court’s intervention to stop the construction. The government had proposed a Rythu Bharosa Kendra there. While directing the government to stop the RBK’s construction, the single bench of Justice Rao Raghunandan Rao had asked the State to demolish constructions and restore the waterbody.
Counsel for the panchayat secretary, E Koti Reddy, submitted before the division bench that the revenue records showed the land was unused government land (poramboke) in Brahmagunda tank.

However, neither a tank existed and nor there was an ayacut under the said lake, Reddy submitted. He further said some individuals had constructed houses and the R& Department had also started laying a road there for public purposes. Intervening, the division bench said it was the government’s responsibility to protect waterbodies.