Hyderabad: A National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed joint committee has found that Edulakunta, located in Survey no 7 of Khanamet, is a government water body and that NVN Constructions has been carrying out construction activity in it.
The Telangana High Court had earlier passed a conflicting order saying that NVN Construction’s 13.17-acre property in Kukatpally does not overlap with the lake.
According to a Times of India report, the NGT committee has stated that revenue records classify the entire six acre and five guntas in Survey no 7 of Khanamet in Serilingampally mandal as “Edulakunta Shikam Sarkari.” The land is also included in the Section 22A prohibited list.
NVN Constructions’ activities fall under Survey no 7, according to a demarcation done by a mandal surveyor using the Khanamet village map and ground references and a May 25 inspection by Serilingampally revenue officials.
After the inspection, the tahsildar had sought assistance from Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), which fenced the land on May 26 and 27.
The NGT had taken up the case after lake activists, such as Thakur Raj Singh, filed a petition alleging lake bed filling, debris dumping and unauthorised construction on the lake.
The applicants had also alleged that water was being pumped out of the lake to facilitate construction. This allegation was not independently established by the NGT committee.
On July 31, the Telangana High Court had held that NVN Construction’s 13.17-acre property in survey numbers 1003 and 1006 of Kukatpally was a private patta land and did not overlap with Survey no 7.
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka had also observed that no water body exists with the developer’s land and restricted anyone from meddling with the developer’s property for restoration of Edulakunta.
NVN Constructions had moved the High Court over HYDRAA’s fencing action in May, after which the court directed the removal of fencing and restoration of the property to its earlier state.
Due to the conflicting findings, the matter has now been referred to the Advocate General’s office, and further action will be taken based on legal advice.
