Hyderabad: The recent actions by HYDRA to demolish illegal constructions around lakes have sparked new demands. These demolitions, aimed at clearing the lakes that have been encroached upon over the last 30 years, have led legal experts to call for more specialized courts dedicated to environmental issues.
Currently, there is only one National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the entire South India, located in Chennai. Legal experts believe that Telangana should establish more “Green Courts” or specialized benches within the High Court to focus exclusively on environmental matters. Advocate R. Sameer Ahmed, who has fought legal battles concerning lakes like Banjara and Malkam Cheruvu, explained that the Chief Justice of the High Court has the authority to create such a Green Bench.
Sameer also pointed out another significant issue: the failure of authorities to enforce the orders issued by the Green Tribunal. When the Green Tribunal halts construction activities, developers often appeal to the High Court, which sometimes grants stay orders against the Tribunal’s decisions. As a result, these cases drag on for long periods, and construction often continues in the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones, despite the Tribunal’s orders.
Legal experts estimate that around 90 percent of the Green Tribunal’s orders are not implemented. When affected parties return to the Tribunal, claiming that officials have ignored its orders, the Tribunal issues contempt notices to the heads of departments and other concerned officials. However, these notices often lead to prolonged legal battles, with little actual resolution.
Thakur Raj Kumar Singh from the Human Rights and Consumer Protection Cell Trust suggests that establishing exclusive Green wings in the High Court could help prevent encroachments more effectively.
Environmental activists also believe that Telangana’s High Court could benefit from studying the systems in place in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In these states, environmental concerns are taken more seriously, and their High Courts frequently refer such cases back to the NGT for swift action.
