HYDERABAD: The State government has decided to seek more time from the Telangana High Court for taking a decision on the relevance of GO 111, which proscribed construction activity in the catchment areas of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar on Hyderabad’s outskirts.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, at a review meeting with officials at Pragati Bhavan here on Sunday, took a decision to this effect after the Telangana High Court asked the State government last month to furnish within four weeks the report of the high power committee constituted to decide the relevance of GO 111, in the wake of conflicting arguments in its favour and against.
The Chief Minister said that one has to keep the interests of the people and that of the city in mind while taking a decision on GO: 111. It will be his responsibility to ensure that lakes and greenery are protected and at the same time, the real estate sector gets the necessary fillip.
He recalled that Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, Konda Pochamma and Mallannasagar reservoirs cover an area of 11,000 acres that needs to be protected. At the same time, the forest land in about one lakh acres needs to be protected to ensure the maintenance of ecological balance. The officials apprised the Chief Minister that GO No: 111 covered 84 villages in an area of 1.32 lakh acres in 538 sq km. This is roughly equal to the GHMC area.
The Chief Minister said that unless the city is developed in accordance with a foolproof plan, the water bodies and the residential areas might get polluted.To prevent this problem, planning has to be done for the identification of green zones, evolving a sewerage master plan, putting in place a drinking water network and spacious roads so that a great city could be bequeathed to the posterity, Rao added.