Protect Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla lake or face action, NGT warns Telangana officials

The senior Telangana officers warned by NGT are Secretary of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development and Member Secretary of Telangana State Pollution Control Board.
National Green Tribunal (Photo | EPS)
National Green Tribunal (Photo | EPS)

HYDERABAD: Giving the “last opportunity” for the compliance of its orders regarding remediation and protection of the historic Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla lake, the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned various senior Telangana government functionaries that violation of its orders “is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs 10 crore”.

“Under Section 25 of the NGT Act, 2010, the order is executable at the decree of the Civil Court and Under Section 51 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, there is provision for civil imprisonment or 
any other order, including stopping of salary of the erring officers,” the NGT further warned.The NGT also pointed out that the ongoing pollution of the lake is in violation of Supreme Court orders and financial constraints cannot be cited as a reason by the government for not protecting the lake.

The senior Telangana officers warned by NGT are Secretary of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development and Member Secretary of Telangana State Pollution Control Board.These orders were issued in a petition filed by Hyderabad-based lake-protection activist Dr Lubna Sarwath, in which she highlighted poor condition of the Bum-Ruk-ud-Dowla lake, located near National Police Academy in Sivrampally.  

Posting the next hearing of the case to October 21, the NGT directed that the two senior government functionaries must be present in-person for video conference and present compliance status, which must make it clear that sewage being presently discharged into the lake stands diverted to a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

Also, by then, water quality of the lake must have improved to at least ‘Category C’ from its present status of ‘Category E’. The NGT directed that this order must also be communicated to the State Chief Secretary.
An earlier report on the lake’s condition by the Irrigation Department pointed out that the lake being polluted due to discharge of untreated sewage from Raghavendra Colony and King’s Colony.

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