Hyderabad 24 June 2020
NOTICE TO THE MEDCHAL-MALKAJGIRI DISTRICT WALTA AUTHORITY UNDER WALTA ACT 2002, AND CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
23. (1) The authority may notify water bodies like lakes, village ponds and minor irrigation tanks along with nalas (water course or drainage course) as heritage bodies and conservation areas to prevent conversion of their intended use and the authority shall take all measures to permanently demarcate the boundaries through the department of the Government or the organization concerned as per the memoirs of lakes / tanks / ponds / nalas (water course or drainage course) and shall take measures to evict and prevent encroachment. For this purpose, the Authority may give directions to the concerned department, agency, statutory body or official and upon such direction, the concerned department, agency, statutory body or official shall comply with such directions. The authority may also issue guidelines in this regard and the guidelines shall be complied with by all the concerned
(2) The designated officer shall have the power to prevent and remove encroachments into the demarcated area of the water body.
(3) No undesirable wastes including liquid wastes shall be allowed to be dumped in the water bodies by any person or organisation.(5) The designated officer shall have the authority to take required steps to prevent and control polluted water entering the water bodies.
Article 51 A (g) which deals with Fundamental Duties of the citizens states: “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures.”
Article 21 reads as – No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law.
To
The Collector cum Magistrate &
Chairman
District WALTA Authority
Medchal Malkajgiri district
Hyderabad
Subject: Ramantapur Chinna Cheruvu with lake ID 3802 – After encroachment by temples, constructions, etc this lake is further encroached with the construction of open gym, youth club, and future plans of roads etc by GHMC, MLA, Corporators, etc.
References:
1. Lokayukta ordered Joint inspection of Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur in February 2014 with all officials where encroachments and huge land deposits inside FTL boundary were brought on record and submitted by officials to Lokayukta
2. Representation from Fishermen society on 17 June 2020 to MRO Uppal and Deputy Commissioner, Uppal appealing to stop gym constructions and restore the lake for fishing purpose.
3. Ceremony by MLA Uppal, DC Uppal, Corporator Ramanthapur on 20 June 2020 for illegal gym inside FTL of Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur
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We draw your urgent attention to the blatant misadventures inside the Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur against rules, science and sense.
A. Encroachment By GHMC, MLA, Coporators, Etc:
We tried to reach out to Deputy Commissioner Uppal, but she has not responded to call or whatsapp.
We reached MRO Uppal on call and he said he would stop destruction of lake, but he has not taken any action in spite of Fishermen society letter submitted to him on 17 June 2020. (letter attached)
President and General Secretary of Ramantapur Fishermen Cooperative Society Ltd reached out to Deputy Commissioner, Uppal to stop the destruction of lake and stop open gym inside lake, but the destruction continues.
Further, it is learnt that husband of corporator G Jyotsna of ward no. 9 Ramantapur has been supervising the illegal works of open gym inside FTL boundary of the lake. Without any application of mind, he has also challenged locals and fishermen society that he would change the lake with roads, youth club etc. inside the lake.
He and the officials and public representatives did not talk of stopping pollution of the lake, reclaiming lake area, increasing the storage capacity of the lake, opening up existing and more channels for rainwater to enter the lake, improving Dissolved Oxygen levels so that fishermen occupation can be revived and biodiversity can be improved.
On Saturday 20 June 2020 the MLA Uppal constituency, Deputy Commissioner GHMC Uppal, Corporator Ramanthapur have further presided over works as seen in the picture below. They are standing right inside the FTL boundary of the lake on the huge cement slab construction and having the open gym constructed against the application of mind, sense, science and rule of law:
B. Fuzzy Data:
RAMANTAPUR CHINNA CHERUVU is notified as lake ID 3802. Lake has been surveyed 28.12.2013. The preliminary notification was done on 7.6.2014. But the final notification is not done till date. Extract from HMDA website below:
C. Sham FTL Demarcations With Multiple Maps, Without Geo Coordinates, To Accommodate Encroachments:
An attempt to accommodate the massive landfills, two temples, other constructions and the open gym through misleading and manipulated FTL boundary maps has been observed. Water spread area of the cheruvu has been seriously compromised by not evicting the landfills and allowing constructions inside the lake.
i) HUDA notification dated 4.5.2000 titled ‘Save lakes for a better future’ records the chinna cheruvu ramantapur area as 11.03 hectares(27.25 acres)
ii) Whereas, One FTL boundary map of 3802 chinna cheruvu ramantapur that was surveyed on 12 nov 2013 shows the area as 11.451 acres. Sheet date of map is 18.12.2013. Geo coordinates have not been mentioned on the map. But, GPS points from A1 to A24 have been marked on the FTL boundary in a haphazard manner. Below is the map.
iii) Yet another FTL map is now available for 3802 Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur. Date of the survey is 12.10.2013. Geo coordinates are not mentioned on the map. A1 to A24 GPS points demarcated at the map in B(ii) above are missing from this map. Area of the lake is left blank. Sheet date of the map is 19.11.2013. The map is duly signed by Executive Engineer-I&CAD, Deputy EE, and Assistant EE. Below manipulated map:
Thus, a lake of area 27.25 acres in 2000 is demarcated as blank in one FTL map and shown as 11 acres in another FTL map in 2013/2020.
D. Digital Survey Of Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur With Aid Of Bhuvans WMS Layer Overlaid On Google Earth Satellite Imagery:
Black lines indicate FTL boundary of the lake, inflow and outflow channels and bund of the lake. The yellow icon is the place where Open gym is being constructed and ceremony was held by MLA, GHMC deputy commissioner and corporator and others on 20 June 2020.
a) Satellite imagery of 27 May 2000 where a large extent of water spread is observed. Open gym at 17.39388275, 78.53952025 is right inside the FTL boundary of the lake:
b) Satellite imagery dated 26 April 2003 from Google Earth imagery with bhuvan’s water management system layer overlaid. It is observed when compared to above pic at D(i) that considerable landfill inside the lake.
c) Constructions inside the FTL of the lake. Also observed and recorded by officials during Lokayukta ordered inspection of February 2014. Report submitted to Lokayukta by officials.
d) Between 2014 and 2019 active constructions on the landfilled area inside FTL boundary is observed.
e) Latest available satellite imagery of 12 April 2020. In spite of representations to officials, raising the open gym lake encroachment issue at Lokayukta water bodies hearing of 18 March 2020, calls, Whatsapp communications, open gym huge slab was inaugurated on 20 June 2020.
Thus, the officials and public representatives who take a oath to abide by law and constitution of India to uphold right to life, are throttling the lifelines of Hyderabad. Instead of evicting the landfills and encroachments to increase of water holding capacity, they are inaugurating open gyms inside FTL of the lake and challenging the local fishermen who appealed to them to restore the sanctity of the lake.
E. Pictures From Field Survey Of 19 June 2020 Of Ongoing Encroachment Open Gym And Previously Encroached Areas With Temples, North Of Chinna Cheruvu Ramantapur:
i) Huge slab laid inside FTL boundary for open gym, beside temple (that is already an encroachment inside lake). vehicles parked inside FTL boundary of the lake. Geo-coordinates of the picture: 17.393751138889, 78.539527888889
ii) Lake area concretized for open gym inside lake. Geo-coordinates of pic 17.39388275, 78.53952025:
iii) Open gym slab right inside FTL of lake. Geo coordinates of picture 17.39388275, 78.53952025 :
F. For Collector Medchal-Malkajgiri’s prompt action under WALTA Act 2002 and Telangana Irrigation and Revenue Acts:
To evict the destructive concretization for open gym, etc. immediately.
Further FTL boundary map with geo coordinates may promptly be uploaded at HMDA website with intimation to us.
Dredge the land deposits so that volume and area of lake increases in order to hold all rain water and upstream surplus waters.
Stop all pollution in the lake so that fishing activity halted more than 5-6 years ago can be resumed.
G. Food for thought for elected representatives and selected officials:
Lakes are sacred spaces for public basic utility of water. Please uphold this rajadharmam, solemn duty. no religious structure whether temple, masjid, church etc can be accommodated inside sacred space of lakes.
Further by concretizing lakes, thousands of fishermen and allied employment were rendered out of profession and jobless. Ensuring only rain water flows into lake and stopping all sewage and industrial pollution into lake, brings glory and fulfils basic necessities of life and livelihood.
We trust you agree that in these times of health emergency and economic crisis every inch of lake space and the buffer zone has to be preserved and reclaimed.
Expect your response on war-footing.
Best,
Dr Lubna Sarwath, State General Secretary, Socialist Party (India) Telangana
Dr Jasveen Jairath, Founding Convenor, Save Our Urban Lakes
Shri V Sai Prasad Sastry (Retd IRS), President, VOICE-Voice of Indian Citizens Everywhere
Janab Maqbool Mateen, National President, United Citizens Forum
