To
The Chief Justice of High Court at Hyderabad
On Southern Banks of Moosi nadi
Adjacent to Heritage Building Government City College,
Hyderabad
Dear Chief Justice garu,
May Peace Be Upon You.
Subject: Plea to halt devourment of 2951 Palle Cheruvu, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad District-Rajendranagar, RR District @17°18’45.6″N 78°27’18.6″E ;
Plea to restore Palle Cheruvu in terms of its area, volume, inflow channels, outflow channels, water quality and to undertake biological scientific fencing at the buffer zone boundary of the lake. Plea to restore the Palle Cheruvu and assign it as a potable, useable water resource for people residing in its demarcated vicinity.
Reference: Plotting, roads, constructions, channels closed in lake identified by HMDA-GHMC as Lake ID 2951 Palle Cheruvu, FTL boundary and Cadastral map not yet notified by HMDA-GHMC on its website.
With a depressed heart, we appeal to your august offices to order the halt of the devourment of lifeline lake ID 2951 Palle Cheruvu, Bandlaguda Hyderabad district – Rajendranagar, RR district.
We place at your threshold detailed documentation pertaining to assist you in rendering justice for people of Hyderabad who are denied the lakes, denied chain link system of lakes that ensure non-flooding and ensure continuous replenishing of groundwater aquifers, so as to reduce the hardship of shortage of water and ensure supply of water at minimal cost to maximum life.
A. OFFICIAL DATABASE SURVEY FOR PALLE CHERUVU, BANDLAGUDA-HYDERABAD-RAJENDRANAGAR-RR DISTRICT:
HMDA had identified the lake 2951 Palle Cheruvu in its list of lakes as follows in 2014:
But it has failed to notify the FTL boundary and Cadastral maps and other information pertaining to the 2951 Palle Cheruvu till date:
This lake is also identified in the GHMC website list of lakes at sl no. 15 in South Zone as follows:
B. EXTRACTS FROM SURVEY OF INDIA TOPOSHEETS:
This lake is on record of Survey of India Hyderabad Guide Map of 2002 as well as Survey of India toposheets:
Extract from Survey of India Hyderabad Guide Map 2002:
Extract from Survey of India toposheet 56K7SE depicting Palle Cheruvu and so many other lakes around it that are now missing from the official database but present on the ground, or, missing both from the official database and from the ground:
C. FIELD SURVEY OF 15 JUNE 2020 SHOWS HEAVY BLUE SHEET ENCLOSURES, ROAD LAYING, CONSTRUCTIONS, POLLUTION, AND ACTIVE DESTRUCTION OF THE LAKE AND ITS BUFFER ZONE:
1. Construction company encloses lake area buffer zone :
2. Huge lake devourment and constructions structures inside FTL and buffer zone of the lake as observed from bund of the lake:
Complete documentation of the field survey can be accessed at this link.
D. DIGITAL SURVEY OF GOOGLE EARTH SATELLITE IMAGERY WITH BHUVANS TOPOMAP OVERLAID ACROSS TIMELINE FROM 2007 TO APRIL 2020:
1. Google Earth satellite imagery of 12 April 2020 showing BT roads, plotting and constructions in the lake and buffer zone:
2. Historical Google Earth satellite imagery of 8 September 2017 when lake waters tried to claim back its space during incessant rains of 2016 and 2017, in spite of lake encroachments:
Full file of documentation of digital survey of Google Earth satellite imagery with bhuvans topomap can be accessed at this link.
E. Digital Survey of Palle Cheruvu based on Indian Geo platform of ISRO:
1. Hybrid map of hydrology map and satellite map as extract from Bhuvan 2D of ISRO-NRSC website:
2. Terrain map of Palle Cheruvu from Bhuvan 2D of ISRO-NRSC website indicating vast expanse of the lake:
Full documentation of ISRO map based digital survey can be accessed at this link.
F. Access to all files and all images used in documentation is placed for your ready reference at this link.
OUR PRAYER AT THRESHOLD OF HALLS OF JUSTICE FOR PROTECTION OF LIFELINES OF HYDERABAD THAT SECURE BASIC RIGHT TO WATER WITH DIGNITY AND AS AN ENTITLEMENT FOR LIFE:
1. Evict plotting, constructions and dumping in the palle cheruvu immediately;
2. Notify the FTL boundary and buffer zone boundary and fence the lake at buffer zone boundary with scientific plantations specifically meant for lake protection; Notify its inflow channels and outflow channels and fence the channels at its bufferzone boundaries with scientific plantations;
3. Restore the Palle Cheruvu in terms of its area including buffer zone, in terms of its volume; and in terms of quality of water to potable, useable standards;
4. Notify the lake as a drinking water and useable water resource for the demarcated area of people in the vicinity of the lake; The dependency on the lake for people in vicinity creates the connectivity and ensures continuous protection of lake by people themselves for surface use as well to replenish groundwater channels;
5. Proceed against officials responsible for maintenance and upkeep of this waterbody for their omissions and commissions, in Lake Protection Committee and in Mandal WALTA authorities, District WALTA authorities, State WALTA authorities;
6. Display complete information of the lake prominently along with contacts of officials responsible for the lake protection and actively connect the lake with people in its vicinity.
We shall fully coordinate with you in public interest. We are clear in our heart and mind that Hyderabad’s deliberate vanishing of water bodies must be stalled else we are beckoning a future desert.
Rain waters of Hyderabad when harvested in these huge water bodies that we got as a legacy would suffice the needs of our city based upon scientific calculations, but alas, courts and people are being misled by government that water being borrowed from 300 kms is better than harvesting rain water in our existent huge water reservoirs and water bodies of Hyderabad.
Please render justice immediately.
Best,
Lubna, Jasveen, Balaswamy
Hyderabad
