Telangana: BJP condemns scrapping of GO111, demands conditional points

Hyderabad: Bhartiya Janata Party demanded conditional points to stop the illegal construction around the twin lakes, Osman sagar and Himayath Sagar here, after the chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao issued Government Order (GO) 69 prohibiting the GO 111, which restricted the construction work around the lakes. BJP leader, Gudur Narayan Reddy, speaking to ANI said, […]

Hyderabad: Bhartiya Janata Party demanded conditional points to stop the illegal construction around the twin lakes, Osman sagar and Himayath Sagar here, after the chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao issued Government Order (GO) 69 prohibiting the GO 111, which restricted the construction work around the lakes.

BJP leader, Gudur Narayan Reddy, speaking to ANI said, “The scrapping of GO 111 is really very unfortunate and bringing out GO 69 without any conditions or rules or regulations could endanger the reservoir.” Reddy said that Osman sagar is supplying about five million gallons of water which is catering to Masab tank, Asif Nagar and Vijay Nagar colony up to Narayanguda. Himayath Sagar is supplying around three million gallons per day through Mir Alam filter beds which are catering to that area to the tune of one lakh people. The government is totally interested in real estate rather than protecting the environment.

BJP leader said that the party demands to bring in conditional points after the withdrawal of the order, which will at least stop Illegal construction coming up in GO 111 areas and also come up with a master plan and take Google pictures as on the date of cancellation.

Reddy said, “If twin lakes become like Hussain Sagar which it will eventually become because all the construction will come up in the absence of rules because the government will take a good amount of time and without putting any conditions for construction, so far anyone constructing one shed or a factory or building or anything outside the grama kantam within this GO111 the authorities have demolished. Many buildings will come and will disrupt the flow of water, the catchment will be blocked. Twin lakes were constructed to avoid flooding flow into the city. Tomorrow if such things are not taken into consideration they will become crap holes.” He further said, “So far wherever STPs are planned, not even 10,% are working to the fullest. They are saying they will put STPs after real-estate development. After scrapping off GO 111, if people have gone to the extent of constructing and blocking the catchment area, imagine what will happen, people will be forced to drink that water because there will be a shortage.” Reddy condemned the government’s order to introduce GO69 saying that “Any structure coming illegally is done by TRS real estate Mafia and we condemn such actions.” Besides, many environmentalists are also objecting to the government’s decision regarding the twin lakes. According to them, the lakes are not being taken care of in the state and the removal of GO111 will destroy the ecosystem.

The state government on Wednesday issued the GO 69, removing certain restrictions that were imposed under GO Ms 111 in 1996 by the erstwhile government, to protect the catchment area of the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs by prohibiting development or construction works in the catchment area of the lakes up to a radius of 10 km.

The two lakes were the main source of drinking water for Hyderabad at that time.