HYDERABAD: A Division Bench of the High Court on Wednesday declared that the matter of distance of the Outer Ring Road from the Himayatsagar lake bund be referred to the technical committee of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board which had earlier examined the matter, for appropriate interpretation.

The Bench was disposing of the writ petition filed by S. Jeevananda Reddy, a well-known environmental activist.

Authorities' stand

He complained to the court that though Clause 10 of Schedule B of the consent for establishment made it clear that there shall be a green belt of 500 metres between the bund and the road, at several places the distance was not being maintained. He said that as per the survey conducted by the officers of the APPCB the distance between the bund and the road was less than 500 meters at several places. The authorities took a stand that bund means not the entire bund of the lake but only such portion of the bund about 1,400 metres between the gates meant for flow of extra water and gate from where the drinking water is pumped out.

The Bench said that the petitioner and HUDA would be entitled to appear before the technical committee which shall keep in view the letter and spirit of G.O.Ms.No.111 which prohibited polluting activity within a 10 km. radius of Himayathsagar and Osmansagar lakes. This entire process is to be completed within 18 days from Wednesday.

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