Telangana HC Directs Fatima Owaisi Campus to Put Up Notices Warning Students of Pending FTL Case
Justice NV Shravan Kumar said the final notification regarding the full level of the lake should be issued within two weeks.
The court said it would be affected by the decisions of the academic year, which starts in June. Students who work as academics in construction sites allegedly built in the puddle will be subject to the verdict.
The court said that students and parents should take note of the pending writ petition and that university officials should also post information on the notice boards regarding the pending writ petition. The court said that students and parents can make the decision to stay at the university at their own risk and cannot claim any equity capital. He also directed the institutions not to carry out construction in the Salkam Cheruvu area.
In the writ petition, the court issued notices to the education group, HYDRAA, HMDA, GHMC and the state government, including the education department, and sought their responses on the allegations of rape and official inaction. Justice Shravan Kumar questioned the authorities over the delay in issuing the final notification regarding FTL of the lake. “Why are you spending almost 10 years for the final notification just because the preliminary notifications were made in 2016,” he said.
The judge directed the officials to answer the question whether HMDA and GHMC were aware of the lake FTL before giving permission for constructions.
The writ petition was filed by advocate Vijay Gopal, complaining to the court that HYDRAA had not received its complaint or representations regarding the alleged illegal construction. He said Salkam Cheruvu has been identified as HMDA Lake ID: 4001/1 located in Bandlaguda Kalsa. The petitioner alleged that despite numerous complaints being made through online platforms and written submissions between August and September 2024, HYDRAA, which was formed specifically to protect water bodies, took no action.
Referring to HMDA’s preliminary notification dated December 13, 2016, the petitioner argued that the construction was within the notified FTL and buffer zone of the lake. Vijay Gopal argued that HYDRAA demolished buildings and constructions and seized lands following complaints from citizens. However, no precautions were taken against the encroachments and illegal buildings committed by the educational community.
The petitioner sought a direction to stop academic activities in the institution from the next academic year to prevent inconvenience to students and to ensure that no further environmental damage occurs due to ongoing or completed construction in the lake and buffer zone.
