HYDERABAD: Cracking the whip on illegal structures in full tank level (FTL) and buffer zones on various lakes in Rangareddy and Medchal districts, the revenue department has slapped notices on 1,100 buildings, including 204 in the vicinity of Durgam Cheruvu in Madhapur, asking why they should not be razed.
Senior officials said this was just the tip of the iceberg.
“The 1,100 unauthorised structures are only a sample. There could be thousands of such structures, including independent houses and apartments, in FTL and buffer zones on the lakes,” an official said.
Among the 1,100 structures, 462 are in FTL and 634 in buffer zones of the lakes, revenue authorities claimed. A majority of these illegal structures have come up in and around 13 lakes in the two districts.
The over century-old Hasmathpet lake (Boin Cheruvu) in Old Bowenpally leads the charts with 148 buildings within the FTL of the lake, with Chinnarayauni Cheruvu (Old Alwal Cheruvu) in Alwal next with 105 illegal structures.
These structures in 13 lakes were identified by the joint teams of revenue, irrigation, land survey and civic bodies under the supervision of advocate commissioner T Srikanth Reddy and deputy solicitor general of India Praveen Kumar Gadi in the second and third weeks of Feb. A report was submitted to Telangana high court in March.
The committee members said that some of the lakes lacked protective measures to prevent encroachments even after the lake size shrunk over the years. The committee also looked into whether there was fencing, ring bund and pathways, sewage diversion, CCTV cameras and lake guards.
The 13 lakes where rampant encroachments have been seen include Sunnam Cheruvu near Kukatpally, Medikunta Cheruvu in Nanakramguda, Gosaikunta Cheruvu at Goulidoddi, Pedda Cheruvu near Chandanagar, Nallagandla Cheruvu in Nallagandla, Durgam Cheruvu in Madhapur, Maddela Kunta near Saroornagar, Pedda Cheruvu in Peerazadiguda, Nalla Cheruvu in Uppal, Chinna Damera Cheruvu in Dundigal, Amber Cheruvu in Kukatpally, Chinnarayauni Cheruvu and Boin Cheruvu.
The committee observed that there were no CCTV cameras in Nalla Cheruvu and Chinna Damera Cheruvu, in some lakes there were no security guards and in some, there was just one guard. The members were aghast to find out that some of the lakes in an extent of 160 acres or 80 acres were managed by one or two guards. Boin Cheruvu was filled with garbage and sewage was discharged into the lake by nearby colonies, the report said.
FTL is considered the maximum water spread area when it receives water and is full. Any type of structure near FTL is totally prohibited. Buffer zone is also prohibited for permanent structures, but the area is demarcated to protect the area and water may spread to buffer areas in case of heavy flooding, a water conservation expert explained.
