Hyderabad: Residents cry foul over fencing works at lake

Having fingers burned in historic Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla Lake protection case in National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Irrigation officials again descended at the water body opposite to National Police Academy, Shivrampally and began fencing works to safeguard the lake area from further encroachments.

Though the removal of water hyacinth from the surface of the lake was already in progress, the Irrigation officials too grounded fencing work two days ago encompassing the water body almost a year after it was first stalled by the local people on September 25 last year. According to officials, the historic lake presently exists only on 18 acres of area but the actual girth of the water body is larger than what has remained today.

"We have taken up fencing work to protect the historic Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla Lake from further encroachments as the water body has already shrunk to 18 acres while the actual expanse is much greater than what is left today. As per the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT), we have proceeded with the fencing work and will complete the same anyhow," informed Narayana, Executive Engineering Irrigation Wing Northtank Division.

Last year, he said, there was stiff resistance from the local people but this time the scenario has changed and many of them are convinced. "The works have been grounded to protect the lake from further encroachments and we will move on to cover the entire area as per the order passed by the NGT," the official asserted.

In a case pertaining to 'Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla Lake' filed by Lubna Sarwath, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has observed that the PCB, the Urban Development Department and the GHMC have failed to perform their statutory obligations in safeguarding the lake.

"In view of such serious failure and continued violations of law – which is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment besides contempt of orders of the Supreme Court and violation of directions of this tribunal, coercive measures need to be taken against the erring secretary to the government as well as against the PCB," the court order said posting the matter on October 21.

However, the local colony association is upset with the fencing, claiming that officials are encroaching upon the colony area without any proper plan.

"The Irrigation officials, while carrying out works, are intruding into our colony without specifying the plans they have sketched to carry out fencing. Our colony does not come under the survey number that they are actually carrying out the work. The officials keep on moving with fencing work that, if not been opposed, will cause us to lose six plots and a common area of 1-1.5 acre earmarked for parks in the colony," claimed Janardhan Reddy, President Raghavendranagar Colony, Shivrampally abutting the Lake.