Hyderabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chennai bench has imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Telangana irrigation department in connection with the Bum Rukn Ud Dowla lake encroachment case.
This penalty was levied for failing to submit an action taken report, despite the tribunal’s directive to do so two months prior. The NGT has ordered the concerned departments and agencies to file their reports within two weeks, stating that these reports will only be accepted if the fine is paid within one week.
The matter is set for a final hearing on January 13, 2025.
The order, issued on November 14, 2024, stems from a case filed by environmental activist Dr Lubna Sarwath in February 2022.
The case was initiated due to the significant dumping of debris into the Bum Rukn Ud Dowla lake, which has continued despite increasing construction activities around it.
Following serious concerns raised by the NGT Delhi bench regarding these violations, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and then-principal secretary for municipal administration and urban development, Arvind Kumar, conducted a survey of the area. However, construction activities have reportedly escalated in the water body.
Dr Sarwath highlighted that since December 2023, the eastern side of the lake has been filled in, despite numerous complaints from residents to the police.
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“Police did not even accept complaints from the citizens. But two complaints from the GHMC’s lakes division were filed and an FIR was lodged,” stated Lubna Sarwath, informing Siasat.com of the latest development on the legal front.
