File report on Musi river encroachments, says HC

‘Furnish pictures while submitting action-taken report’

Expressing concern over failure of the authorities in checking illegal constructions on the buffer zones of Musi river, the Telangana High Court has instructed them to file an action taken report.

The direction was passed recently by a bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition on illegal encroachments of the areas on Musi river buffer zone.

Asking government counsel what the authorities were doing even as unauthorised structures were coming up on the buffer zone, the High Court bench directed the authorities concerned with the matter to furnish pictures while submitting the action-taken report.

The bench of the High Court headed by the Chief Justice sought to know why the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner, Khairatabad zonal commissioner, Rajendranagar Revenue Divisional Officer and Rajendranagar tahsildar failed to file counter affidavits despite the High Court directing them to do so within four weeks of the date of the previous hearing.

Monsoon rains

Observing that within next few months monsoon rains would set in, the High Court said that illegal structures would obstruct the flow of water in the city.

The bench wondered if the authorities wanted to transform Musi buffer zone areas into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The failure of the authorities to contain illegal constructions would compel one to think if they were hand in glove with the persons raising such illegal structures, the bench felt. It was surprising that the authorities had failed to control unauthorised constructions despite having the infrastructure and paraphernalia, the bench said.

The Public Interest Litigation petition was filed by a resident of Kulsumpura M. Laxman, alleging that some private persons were illegally occupying Musi buffer zone area in Jiyaguda of Attapur.

The High Court had earlier directed the authorities to conduct field inspection and file reports in the court.

It came up for hearing three days ago.

The High Court posted the matter to June 3 for next hearing.