HC refuses to pass interim order in PIL against KLIP

HYDERABAD:  Refusing to pass any interim order in the PIL filed against construction of four new storage reservoirs under Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, a division bench of the Telangana High Court on Monday questioned the petitioner, a retired engineer, as to why he was opposing the decision of the State government to increase the capacity of the project from 1.5 TMC to 50 TMC.

“There are various reports that say there will be water scarcity in the country by 2050. All State governments would have to take immediate concrete steps to solve this problem. The Courts will not intervene in the government’s policies,” the bench observed.The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh and Justice A Rajasheker Reddy, was dealing with a PIL filed by Donthula Laxmi Narayana, retired assistant engineer in the State Irrigation Department. 

The petitioner contended that there was a huge financial burden on the State’s exchequer due to government’ decision to increase the project’s capacity. Besides, the government has acquired huge swathes of agricultural land from farmers and forest land for the purpose, he added. 

The bench asked out how the petitioner, who is a retired assistant engineer in the irrigation department, could file the present PIL. It pointed out that he had , in fact, worked on the project in the past and had no problems then. “How can the petitioner say that the State has taken a faulty decision? The SC has reiterated that courts should not interfere with government policies,” it said.