Two recent notifications towards land use conversion, issued by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, could be tantamount to regularisation of illegal structures within the full tank level/ buffer zones of water bodies.
Both the notifications, issued in the name of the Metropolitan Commissioner and Director-Planning, on January 22 this year, invite objections and suggestions for two proposals to convert the land use from ‘Conservation’ to ‘Residential’ at two different locations respectively in Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts. However, part of the land proposed to be converted falls under the full tank level and buffer zones of water bodies in both cases.
In the first case, the survey number proposed to be converted partly falls under the Gopi Cheruvu in Serilingampally mandal. In fact, the notification itself declares that the land parcel in the survey number 84(P) extending to over eight acres is presently earmarked “partly in water body, partly in the buffer zone and partly conservation zone”.
Going by the survey number, the land is partly under Gopi Cheruvu in Lingampally village of Serilingampally mandal. Satellite images of the lake from November, 2024 show the buffer area thickly encroached by already existing structures some of which are seemingly temporary.
In the second instance, an extent of over 8980 square metres, which is over 2.2 acres, in the Gundlapochampally village of Medchal mandal, in Medchal Malkajgiri district, was sought to be converted to Residential zone.
However, the survey numbers mentioned in the notification, 517 and 518, are not to be found in any of the six listed water bodies in the Gundlapochampally village. Instead, they exist in the neighbouring village Mysammaguda, under the water body called Golloni Kunta.
According to the cadastral map displayed on the HMDA website, the survey number 517 almost entirely encompasses the 1.838 acre water body mentioned above, and extends beyond. Golloni Kunta, though notified in December, 2015, does not have its full tank level and buffer zone demarcated on the ground yet, leading to heavy encroachment.
A search of the latest satellite image of the water body shows that major portion of the lake has been erased, including the bund and weir portions. In fact, a micro level perusal using the geo-coordinates reveals that the lake is heavily compromised in its hydrology. In the place of the lake stand several private educational institutions now.
Both the controversial notifications cite memos issued by the government, the contents of which are not available.
Activist Lubna Sarwath, filing her objections, pointed out that the conversion of water bodies and buffer zones to residential use contravenes the HMDA Act, 2008 and other laws in force, and is in contempt of High Court and Supreme Court orders.
She pointed out the mix-up of survey numbers and the village in case of Golloni Kunta and said that the act of conversion is being done for an area that is already encroached.
“If we do not receive the withdrawal/cancellation notice from you within a week we shall be compelled to take further steps to proceed through criminal court and civil court for cancellation of the said notification and for restoration of the Golloni kunta lake... in public interest of people of Hyderabad/Telangana,” she warned.
Enquiries with the Metropolitan Commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmed and Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, M. Dana Kishore, did not yield any response.
Published - February 11, 2025 08:56 pm IST
