Illegal construction around Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar: Telangana High Court slaps cost on govt, gives 2 weeks to respond

During the last hearing on November 6, the court had granted three weeks’ time to the respondents “by way of last indulgence”.

SGP Reddy, while informing the court of the reasons for not filing a counter-affidavit despite the court’s warning on the last occasion, stated that the authorities were occupied with the recently held Telangana Rising summit, and requested two weeks.

Illegal activity in bio-conservation zone

The petitioner, Mandadi Madhava Reddy, a farmer from Moinabad in Rangareddy district, sought action against the state authorities for failing to prevent the illegal construction of five private convention centres in the prohibited bio-conservation zone within a 10 km radius of the catchment areas of the two reservoirs.

During the last hearing on November 6, the bench had warned that “it would stall all such activities.”

The petitioner held that these activities seriously violated various environmental protection Acts, Supreme Court judgments, and the National Green Tribunal’s judgments, as well as Government Order (GO) 111 of the state government. The petition sought strict and effective implementation of the protective and preventive measures stipulated in the order with respect to the two reservoirs in true letter and spirit.

The petition has also listed Ananda convention-Kothwalguda, Neo convention-Janwada, KLN Utsav-Shankarpally, Aarya-Shankarpally and K convention-Jubilee Hills as unofficial respondents in the PIL.