Hyderabad lakes protection: Citizens seek independent probe into alleged violations
HYDERABAD: Residents have called for a clear and independent investigation, project by project, into claims that building, lake-protection, and buffer-zone rules are being broken. They questioned whether Telangana’s laws are enforced the same way for every builder.
Sitaram Dhulipala, Founder President of The Citizen Council, talked about claims involving Thoutanikunta Lake at Khajaguda. He said people claim the lake was labeled as “neighboring land” in the official plan for an infrastructure project, that a road was built through the lake area, and that an Occupancy Certificate was later given. He said these claims should be checked by looking at the approved plan, land records, FTL maps, surveys, required permits, and the Occupancy Certificate.
He said similar concerns come up with claims of illegal construction and blocking of natural drainage paths along the Bulkapur Nala by infrastructure projects. He added that if buffer-zone and water-body protection rules apply to one project, they must apply equally to all projects, no matter who the developer is.
Accountability sought
Sitaram Dhulipala called again for a clear, independent investigation into these alleged violations, including checking FTL boundaries, buffer zones, land records, approved plans, road constructions, needed permits, and Occupancy Certificates.
He said that if violations or false documents are found, responsibility should fall not only on the developer but also on any official who knowingly or carelessly allowed or ignored the rule-breaking. He said the results and actions of these officials should be made public, and proper legal steps should be taken.
He stated that permission to build or an Occupancy Certificate cannot turn a lake, FTL, nala, or protected buffer zone into private land. Sitaram Dhulipala said the focus should not be on singling out any builder, but on making sure the law is applied equally and everyone is held accountable. He said Telangana needs one law, one standard, and one system for accountability, not different rules for different builders.
