The Telangana High Court has temporarily stopped the demolition of structures around Durgam Cheruvu lake in Hyderabad. This decision was made in response to petitions from residents of Amar Society, where several homes, including that of Anumula Tirupati Reddy, brother of the state’s Chief Minister, are located.
Last month, authorities issued a notice to Amar Cooperative Society, which includes Tirupati Reddy’s residence, stating that the homes were built illegally within the Full Tank Level (FTL) of Durgam Cheruvu. The notice was sent under the WALTA Act, and homeowners were given one month to demolish their properties.
In response, the residents of Amar Society, including Tirupati Reddy, went to the High Court to challenge the government’s decision. They argued that the FTL of Durgam Cheruvu was not determined scientifically. According to their records, the FTL covered only 65 acres, but the authorities claimed it spanned 160 acres. The residents also raised objections to a notification issued on this matter back in 2014.
After hearing the arguments, the High Court instructed the Lake Protection Committee to consider the objections raised by the residents. The court also directed the committee to issue a final notification within six weeks from October 4.
Tirupati Reddy, whose property is one of those under scrutiny, said that he bought the land in 2015 and was unaware at the time that it was classified as part of the FTL of Durgam Cheruvu. The land is reportedly registered under the name of P Koteshwar Rao.
Reddy added that if the government confirms his home is on FTL land, he would not object to any corrective actions taken by the authorities as part of their broader efforts to address encroachments.
A division bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao, has asked the State Government to explain the process and laws that were followed in determining the FTL of Durgam Cheruvu. The court had earlier instructed the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) to set FTLs for all lakes under its jurisdiction.
