Minister for Municipal Administration, Industries and IT K.T. Rama Rao has asked the officials to explore the chances of bringing illegal constructions that have come up in water bodies, including their foreshore areas, in the city within the purview of the proposed special tribunal.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with officials of irrigation, municipal administration, pollution control and tourism departments held here on Monday, the Minister said the government was taking measures for protection of water bodies under the directions of the High Court and the guidelines issued by it.
He directed the Secretaries of the departments to meet the Chief Justice of the High Court to highlight the adverse impact, on protection of water bodies, of courts staying orders against construction in the full tank level (FTL) and water-holding areas . He also suggested appointing a nodal officer for every water body in the city to speed up the development work taken up.
It was decided at the meeting that one water body (tank) each in municipal towns and district headquarters towns across the State would be developed in the first phase of the Government plan for protection of water bodies in urban areas.
Along with Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, Mr. Rama Rao directed the officials of municipal administration and irrigation to come up with comprehensive plans to prevent encroachment of tanks. They were told to fix the FTL of the water bodies with the help of revenue officials to decide the water-holding area so that fencing could be taken up to prevent encroachment.
Special discussion
During a special discussion on water bodies in Hyderabad, the Ministers directed the officials of HMDA, GHMC, HMWSSB, Pollution Control Board and Tourism to form into a team to examine the possibilities of taking up sewage treatment plants and preventing flow of drainage/sewage into water bodies. Similarly, they asked the PCB to work towards preventing flow of industrial effluents into water bodies.
Officials explained to the Ministers that they had prepared plans for development of 30 tanks in the city with Rs.100 crore in the first phase after studying best practices. Fencing was erected around 30 water bodies and efforts were being made to protect them with the help of local residents.
Mr. Rama Rao said a special drive would be taken up for protection of water bodies within the GHMC.
