To
The Deputy Collector cum Ex-Officio Chairman
Rajendranagar Mandal WALTA Authority
Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad
(People’s Notice invoking WALTA 2002 u/s 23(1) to (5) & 34(3) to the Serilingampally Mandal WALTA Authority)
Sub: Water body in Survey No. 288 in Puppulguda village, Rajendranagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana @ geo-coordinates 17°24’19.03″N 78°20’46.05″E is present in the HMDA Master Plan Mandal-wise 2031 and the HUDA Master Plan, but missing in the HMDA database and has been dumped-on to manufacture land.
Ref: 1) Sections 23(1) to (5) & Secs. 34(1) TO (3) WALTA Act 2002-Rules 2004, GOs 9 and 10 of January 2017; 2) Supreme Court Order in Hinch Lal Tiwari vs Kamala Devi And Ors on 25 July 2001.
We urge you to restore the water body at 17°24’19.03″N 78°20’46.05″E in Survey No. 288 in Puppulguda village, Rajendranagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana.
A. From the Google Earth satellite imagery given below and Master Plan 2031, it is evident that the water body was slowly put to death by dumping and manufacturing land out of it.
B. The Google Earth satellite images of the water-body in Survey No. 288 of Poppalguda Village, Rajendra Nagar Mandal are given below:
C. It is pertinent to note that the water-body was missing in the HMDA identified lakes list. SOUL had informed the HMDA, ministers, and all authorities through a KML file and a list with geo-coordinates but the list is yet to be notified by HMDA. Whither Lake Protection Committee, whither State/District/Mandal WALTA Authorities?
D. As per the Supreme Court orders from time to time on Article 21 on the right to a life with dignity and of change of land use of water zone, this can never be done. In Hinch Lal Tiwari vs Kamala Devi And Ors on 25 July, 2001 Bench: Syed Shah Quadri, S.N. Phukan in Appeal(civil) 4787 of 2001, supreme court said as follows:
“The Government, including the Revenue Authorities (i.e. Respondents 11 to 13,) having noticed that a pond is falling in disuse, should have bestowed their attention to develop the same which would, on one hand, have prevented ecological disaster and on the other provided better environment for the benefit of the public at large. Such vigil is the best protection against knavish attempts to seek allotment in non-abadi sites. Further it will also help in maintaining ecological balance and protecting the environment in regard to which this Court has repeatedly expressed its concern. Such measures must begin at the grass-root level if they were to become the nation’s pride.”
E. Clearly, Telangana-Hyderabad’s pride lies in restoring the water bodies. We urge that Rajendra Nagar Mandal WALTA authority meeting be convened immediately and all water bodies over which we raised complaints in Rajendra Nagar Mandal be restored. Officials and agencies involved in the crime of killing lakes be proceeded against.
F. We urge the lake protection committee to urgently convene a meeting of all its 19 member government departments and place on agenda all our representations to restore the water-bodies promptly.
Best,
We, i.e. All Who Use Water.
—
Dr Lubna Sarwath, Telangana State General Secretary & Spokesperson, Socialist Party (India)
Contested Candidate for Karwan MLA, Telangana Assembly December 2018
Contested Candidate for Hyderabad MP, Parliament of India April 2014,
