The Andhra Pradesh government will not be able to encroach upon the Hussain Sagar lake following a judgement of the state high court. The proposed encroachment was for implementing a Rs 1,400-crore project aimed at developing a cyber city. "It's all politically motivated. The government is destroying the environment in the name of development," alleges Ravi ReddaPragada, executive director of Samata, a Hyderabad-based non-governmental organisation.
Samata had filed a case in December 2000, alleging that the government had ignored an official notification barring anybody from encroaching upon the area in and around Hussain Sagar. In response to Samata's petition, the court directed the government not to undertake any construction work, and if at all it plans to implement the project, it should be a semi-permanent structure, and that too after obtaining permission from the state pollution control board.
The state government plans to file a petition against the decision in the Supreme Court. "We are also ready to contend. Our argument is going to be the same -- no one should be allowed to encroach upon any waterbody," adds ReddaPragada.
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