The Telangana High Court on Friday ordered the Warangal Municipal Commissioner and the executive engineer of the Irrigation Department, Warangal, to personally appear before the court for their failure to file counter-affidavits for the past 14 years in a land dispute case filed in 2011. Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti was dealing with the petition filed by a woman, Mootha Shailaja, who challenged the action of raising the height of the weir (Alugu) of a local water body, 'Chinna Waddepalli Cheruvu', to its maximum level. The petitioner in her writ sought to declare the actions of the respondents as illegal and a violation of fundamental rights. Justice Jukanti issued a stern warning for non-compliance, clarifying, "It is made clear that if they are not present in the court on the next date of hearing, this court will be constrained to take appropriate steps". The petitioner claimed the respondents are threatening to erect 3-tonne cement blocks on her land, measuring 480 square yards in Enumamula village, Hanumakonda Mandal, Warangal, to demarcate a new full tank level (FTL) without providing her an opportunity. The petitioner sought a directive to compel the respondents to adhere to the old FTL of Chinna Waddepalli Cheruvu to protect her land. During the hearing, the court noted that despite the writ petition filed in 2011, and notice being served on the Commissioner, Warangal Municipal Corporation, with an acknowledgment receipt dated September 12, 2011, no counter affidavit has been filed till date. Similarly, notice was sent to the Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department (Respondent No. 5), on the same date, and no counter affidavit has been filed for the last 14 years. Expressing severe disapproval of this inaction, Justice Jukanti stated, "This approach is deprecated". Consequently, the court issued a strong directive, ordering the Warangal Municipal Commissioner and the Irrigation Department executive engineer, I B Division, Warangal, to be personally present in the court on the next date of hearing. The matter has been posted for hearing on October 15, 2025.
