The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Constructions around Hussainsagar: remarks to be submitted to apex court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Constructions around Hussainsagar: remarks to be submitted to apex court

Staff Reporter

Interpretation of `Shikam' lands likely to be crucial

HYDERABAD : With the Special Committee appointed by the Supreme Court submitting its report on constructions that had come up in Hussainsagar lake area and pollution of lake bed, various agencies like HUDA, Tourism, Pollution Control Board and Revenue will present their remarks to the apex court.

Consolidated remarks from various agencies, including opinions of senior Government officials will be submitted to the Supreme Court by month-end giving the antecedents of the constructions.

Though environmentalists had opposed a string of tourism and recreation projects around Necklace Road on the ground that it would further shrink the lake bed of Hussainsagar, and filed petitions in the High Court from time to time, the projects came up one after another as the Court upheld the Government decision.

Encroachments

The SC committee that conducted a public hearing last year recommended clearance of encroachments from foreshore of the lake to protect water body.

The view is that while pollution of lake could be prevented by adhering to PCB norms, interpretation of `Shikam' lands will be crucial. While SC committee opined that no constructions should be allowed on Shikam lands to protect the water body, Government had taken a different view and allowed some projects on those lands.

It is not only mega projects like Imax, Jal Vihar, food courts, restaurants, Lumbini Lasarium, NTR Gardens, MMTS Railway station, but several slums, habitations all around the lake area had also come into existence over the years.

The land belonging to Revenue department on the Minister Road too had been subjected to encroachments.

Lenient view

The committee apparently had taken a lenient view on NTR Gardens as it was located on the high land and PV Ghat without permanent structures. HUDA in the meantime planned a multi-level car parking complex behind NTR Gardens to ease vehicular load near Imax.

Interestingly, during the public hearing while NGOs and human rights activists expressed concern about encroachments on the lake bed in the name of development, there were views in favour of existing projects on the Necklace Road as they `beautified the area and provided recreation spots to the public'.

Government agencies feel the lake area bound by Necklace Road and with on-going widening of nalahs in the vicinity, inundation would not be a problem in future.

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