Telangana High Court Questions Illegal Buildings Near Protected Hyderabad Lakes

Hans India

02-05-2025

The Telangana High Court is worried about too many buildings being built near Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar lakes in Hyderabad. On Wednesday, the court asked top officers to explain, in four weeks, why large buildings like convention halls are allowed near the lakes. These areas are protected by GO 111, which bans such work.
The court sent notices to the state government, irrigation and city departments, and the Pollution Control Board. The judges also sent notices to the owners of five big halls built in the banned area.
GO 111 says that no concrete buildings can be made within 10 km of the lakes. This area is called a bio-conservation zone and is meant to protect nature and water.
The court was looking into a case filed by Mandadi Madhava Reddy, a local man from Moinabad. He said the government is not stopping the building work, which breaks the rules of GO 111 and harms the lakes and nature.
His lawyer told the court that five big halls have already been built in Janwada, and each one can hold 5,000 people. He said the waste from these events goes into the lakes. The crowds and cars also cause air and water pollution and make traffic worse.
He also said that these buildings have removed trees and blocked the natural flow of water. This is bad for the environment.
The lawyer blamed the government for not enforcing the rules. He also said that HYDRAA, a special group meant to protect the lakes, has failed to stop the illegal buildings.