NGT panel inspects demolished old Secretariat site in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) joint committee probing the demolition of the old Secretariat buildings by the Telangana government, visited the demolition site on Thursday.

It is investigating alleged violations of environmental laws including the Wetlands Rules 2017. Later, members of the panel held a meeting at Aranya Bhavan. The meeting was attended by senior bureaucrats from Irrigation and Roads and Buildings departments. 

The joint committee has been tasked with inspecting the demolition site and presenting a report by September 25. It will analyse whether any damage has been caused to the environment, including the Hussainsagar lake.

The petitioner of the case in NGT and TPCC working president, A Revanth Reddy, met with the joint committee members and submitted a 243-page representation.  

Speaking to the media later, Revanth informed that he submitted a map of ‘Secunderabad and Bollarum (which includes Hussainsagar), prepared by British army officials in 1920. Accusing the Telangana government of ensuring that all old maps of Hussainsagar are unavailable including with the Survey of India, Revanth said that he procured the map from the British Library.

According to this map, the location where the old Secretariat once stood, falls inside Hussainsagar lake. As a result, according to the Wetlands Rules, 2017 new construction should not be allowed to take place inside the lake. He also cited earlier High Court and Supreme Court rulings prohibiting construction inside the Hussainsagar lake’s Full Tank Level. 

Revanth said that he asked the joint committee to use the British map and also refer to an earlier report by a special committee appointed by the Supreme Court, according to which, the old Secretariat complex falls inside the lake. 

The Malkajgiri MP also said that if the case in NGT does not yield justice, he will approach the Supreme Court. In his representation, Revanth also alleged violation of Central Pollution Control Board guidelines on management of construction and demolition waste and initiating construction of the new Secretariat without obtaining Environment Clearance as per EIA, 2006.

The NGT joint committee consisted of PCCF R Sobha, TSPCB CEE, CY Nagesh, IIT Hyderabad Professor Dr T Shashidhar, from Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) regional office Chennai, Dr MT Karuppiah as members and CPCB scientist, BM Poornima, as Nodal Officer. 

‘Demolition based on vaastu to boost KTR’s career’
Congress MP Revanth Reddy accused Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of demolishing the old Secretariat complex on advice of vaastu experts. This was because the KCR bore the “superstitious belief” that this would ensure success in politics of his son and IT Minister KT Rama Rao. He also held the Chief Secretary and DGP responsible for the demolition