TS told to explain steps on afforestation

Bench directs government to file a report within two weeks

Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed Telangana government to explain to it about the steps being taken for afforestation in areas where the forest was cleared for the construction of Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by D. Mahesh, a resident of Sircilla district, seeking to explain the action of Kaleswaram Project contractors as illegal. They had cut forest wood in Malkapet village of the district and destroyed the ecological balance.

The petitioner urged the court to direct the authorities to take action against the IVRCL and MRKR Construction Companies for destroying 3,000 acres of forest land, for trespassing and stealing away forest wealth. The Bench reminded that the law demands afforestation and to deposit money required for afforestation while granting permission for constructing in forest lands.

Maintaining that just depositing of money would not help the purpose, the Bench said that it is the duty of the authorities concerned and the state government to ensure plantation in deforested areas.

The Bench directed the state government and its authorities to file a report before it within two weeks, explaining the number of saplings planted in the area and steps taken to ensure the survival of the plants. to decide whether there is a requirement for a reservoir and how can the court intervene in such a issue.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi was dealing with a PIL by D. Lakshminarayana, a retired engineer seeking a GO issued by the Telangana state government on October 24, 2017, calling for online tenders for the construction of a water storage reservoir at Keshavapuram for the drinking needs of Hyderabad city as illegal.

The bench refused to stay the tenders for the construction of reservoir.