Panel set up to probe fish deaths

The Telangana High Court appointed senior counsel Vedula Srinivas as amicus curiae to assist the court in adjudicating a suo motu PIL regarding the death of hundreds of fish in Durgam Cheruvu.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, converted media reports about the tragic deaths of fish into a PIL.

Usually, the Chief Justice bench issues notices to the officials concerned and seeks their response. But, in this case, Chief Justice Aradhe was not inclined to hear the government pleader.

Government counsel informed the court that irrigation officials had inspected the lake after the incident and found that water was flowing in from a damaged sewerage pipeline. Chief Justice Aradhe said, “Don’t protect the officers about whom we don't want to say anything… Instead of that you should have welcomed the orders of the court in appointing an expert committee, which will inspect the lake and file a status report and suggest remedial measures...

“Protection of the lake is for the future generations... your approach should have been different, rather than protecting the wrong-doing officials... we cannot rely on these officers, who will just file a status report on the entire issue and say everything is fine.”

Senior counsel Srinivas will suggest names of officers who can be appointed in the expert panel, which will visit Durgam Cheruvu and submit a report with regard to its existing conditions and encroachments.

The Chief Justice suggested that the expert committee should comprise a prominent environmentalist, a NGO, a senior advocate and officers and set the hearing for December 22.