Telangana High Court Takes Up Suo Moto PIL On Issue Of Increased Risk Of Floods Due To Encroachment Of Water Bodies

Taking yet another step towards the protection of the water bodies within the City of Hyderabad, the Telangana High Court has taken up one more suo moto public interest litigation, this time focusing on the increased risk of floods that is a product of encroached water bodies.

The PIL was taken up on the basis of a letter that was addressed to Chief Justice Alok Aradhe. The letter was accompanied by a Telugu Daily Newspaper 'Eenadu' highlighting an article titled “Naalallo Nirmanalu, Cheruvullo Villalu” (Structures on boats, villas in ponds).

The article featured in the Telugu Daily Newspaper, however, highlighted a different aspect of encroachments, which is the increase of flood-prone areas within the city.

It stated that the water bodies are under continuous and unrelenting stress due to the demographical pressure and economic growth which led to encroachments into them and serious steps are required to be taken to preserve these dying traditional water bodies.

It is stated that studies confirmed that the abandoning of lakes and the consequent reduction in the water storage capacity of the water bodies and encroachments of tanks lakes and river beds are the primary reasons for the flooding in several cities in India including Hyderabad.

It is further submitted that shrinking lakes marshlands agricultural land and fallow land due to unrestrained encroachments have blocked the free flow of floodwater and inundated several parts of the city due to the large-scale encroachments on the natural drains and the river flood plains the capacity of natural drains has decreased resulting in flooding.

Further, it states that a spatial analysis found that around half of the ponds and lakes have reduced in area.

It stated that the three major causes of degradation of these water bodies were, the focus of the Government on building dams and canals, the shift of water management from community to Government, and the lack of sewage systems.

All this is leading to decreased resilience against climate change especially in regards to water security and storage, the letter said.

It adds that the above facts will have cascading effects, disturbing the ecological system and cycle and ultimately resulting in hazardous climatic conditions globally like El Nino or La Nina i.e. shortage of rainfall or heavy rainfall.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti have accordingly issued notice in the matter.

In at least 3 other PILs the Court has issued extensive guidelines for the protection of the lakes and other waterbodies. The State too, has taken extensive measures to implement the orders of the Court.

SoumotuWp(PIL) 1 of 2024

Counsel for the respondent: GP for general administration.