For the past few years Barre Cheruvu, the tank on the South side of the town has been shrinking, but in the past two years or so the problem has intensified. Huge buildings were constructed on the path that allows flow of water into the tank.
Something more pathetic is happening now with the tank. After severing the life line for the tank, now a road is being laid through the tank for Gajwel Outer Ring Road (ORR). The construction activity is in progress very fast for a culvert in the tank and some road work on either side of the culvert is on. Tippers and earth movers are moving busily with loads of soil.
Some locals have informed that a case was filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over destroying the water body.
“The applicants have come forward with the specific case that the government of Telangana had shifted the alignment of ring road from the land, to the centre of the Barre Cheruvu tank covering the full tank level, buffer zone area, irrigation channels, feeder channels apart from fertile lands.
A combined reading of the statements made in the affidavit as well as information obtained under RTI Act shows that prima facie it is a water body, in which the official respondents have no manner of right to interfere for the purpose of realignment of ring road,” said Kashamaina Ramachandram, who is a farmer in his late 40s.
“Since it is an encroachment over a water body, we are of the view that urgent order is required invoking the precautionary principle and therefore following interim order was passed: The respondents were directed maintain status quo that exists as on date until further orders from this tribunal,” read the order issued by NGT on May 10, 2017.
“I myself had witnessed the water in Barre Cheruvu touching the road. But after construction of education hub in the upper stream the water flow was completely cut to this tank. We do not know whether we can see water in this tank this year,” Mr. Ramachandram, who is a witness to jubilant life of the Barre Cheruvu, told The Hindu.
“The National Green Tribunal had issued status quo orders in regard to Barre Cheruvu in 2017. Despite these orders, the road is being laid through the tank. The officials who had to protect the water bodies are violating the rules,” said G. Rajasekhar Reddy of Gajwel.
Many of the officials were tight-lipped when contacted as the issue was sensitive and belonged to the constituency represented by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.“The road is being laid abutting the bund. There will be no harm to Barre Cheruvu and we put a condition to the R&B Department that same water capacity of the tank must be maintained,” said an official on condition of anonymity. According to highly placed sources, the National Green Tribunal has directed the irrigation officials to submit a report on Barre Cheruvu.