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| The satellite image showing water body in 2015 |
Dr Lubna Sarwath, an Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore alumni, who is currently Telangana state general secretary and spokesperson of the Socialist Party (India), and has worked as convener Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL), Hyderabad, in a letter to the Telangana State Legal Services Authority, High Court at Hyderabad, has pointed towards how, because of the destruction of an inflow channel of a water body in the city has led to flooding of Navanami residency, Puppuluguda.
Providing satellite imagery to point towards how this has been done in the north of Survey No 288, Sarwath has recalled a representation of dated July 24, 2019 regarding conversion of the water body on the plot, stating, “We are appalled to note that in spite of our representation to restore water body, the encroachment has not been removed, encroachers and officials have not been proceeded against, and inflow channels and the water body have not been restored.”
Pointing out that the due to “destruction” of the inflow channel of the water body as also of the water body, rain water is not able to take its natural course, resulting into the flooding, , she blamed for this “official lack of diligence of duty and lack of application of mind”, which has resulted into loss of “fresh water inflows into the water body, causing misery to the residents.”
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| Water body missing in the 2019 satellite image |
While the first satellite imagery shows inflow of Bholakpur channel as well as water body in Survey No 288, and a second one shows existence of inflow channel and water body as of 2015, a third satellite image of 2017 shows existence of the inflow channel north of water body but destruction of the water body. A fourth satellite imagery of 2019 further shows destruction of both the inflow channel and the water body.
“We now urge you to promptly restore the inflow channel and the water body by removing all obstructions to rain water inflows”, the letter states, adding, “The flood water inundating Navanami residency should find its rightful place in the water body in survey No 288. Rain water that is a blessing is being turned into terror due to the criminal negligence of the authorities who are in charge of water bodies and its maintenance.”
According to Sarwath, "Telangana-Hyderabad's pride lies in restoring water bodies. We urge that the authorities convene a meeting immediately and all water bodies over which we raised complaints in be restored. Officials and agencies involved in the crime of killing the lake kill should be proceeded against."
“We now urge you to promptly restore the inflow channel and the water body by removing all obstructions to rain water inflows”, the letter states, adding, “The flood water inundating Navanami residency should find its rightful place in the water body in survey No 288. Rain water that is a blessing is being turned into terror due to the criminal negligence of the authorities who are in charge of water bodies and its maintenance.”
According to Sarwath, "Telangana-Hyderabad's pride lies in restoring water bodies. We urge that the authorities convene a meeting immediately and all water bodies over which we raised complaints in be restored. Officials and agencies involved in the crime of killing the lake kill should be proceeded against."
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