Developing tank flouting Supreme Court orders, alleges forum

Tirupati: The government move to develop the historic Avilala tank as ‘eco-park’ with an outlay of Rs 185 crore from TTD funds raised eyebrows fearing that the massive works destroy the water body.

They also argue that the construction of eco-park amounts to flouting the Supreme Court orders to preserve the tank as it is. The tank which was spread over 187 acres which was built during Vijayanagara empire period was ravaged in 1992 for holding AICC plenary turning it a vast open area stirring TUDA to develop it as plots and sold it.

But, the timely action of the city-based ‘Intellectual Forum’ filing a petition saw Supreme Court directing TUDA to preserve the tank and refund the amount collected from public for the sale of plots in an open bidding. Following the Apex Court verdict, the TUDA prepared a plan for the restoration of the tank including reviving the canals to increase inflow of water during rains, but it was kept in cold storage.

Years passed but the tank remained a barren land with bushes till Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in 2015 ordering TTD to develop the tanks in the city including Avilala tank as eco-park saw the TTD drawing a Rs 25 crore plan for the development of the tank.

After two years and taking up many works like plantation and walking track, the government changed its mind and instructed TTD to include more works hiking the total cost of development to Rs 185 crore which stirred the hornet nest as it would complete the deface the tank.

The ‘Intellectual Forum’ wrote to the District Collector in September this year seeking him stop the Rs 185 crore work to avoid disfiguring of the tank. Forum secretary K Srinivaulu Reddy said that the works on which is going on a massive scale in full swing is in utter disregard to the order of the Supreme Court. He stated that he wrote a letter to the Collector but there was no response.

“I was forced to send a letter to Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to intervene and save the tank from being disfigured in the name of development. In case, if there is no response then we will move the Apex Court again,” Reddy said expressing Forum determination to save the tank.

Meanwhile, officials of the Minor Irrigation Department also sent a letter to their higher authorities intimating on the large-scale excavation works in the tank bed and seeking instruction for taking necessary action.

Sources said that, in the letter sent ten days back, the officials stated that as per the Supreme Court orders, the water body has to be maintained as tank itself and no other development are entertained. But the higher authorities are dilly-dallying on taking a firm decision against the disfiguring of the tank, even as the works are in full swing.

However, TTD Chief Engineer Ch Chandrasekhar Reddy maintained that no works against Supreme Court direction is taken up in the tank. In the same breath, he said that he will instruct the Andhra Pradesh Greening and Beautification Corporation (APGBC) to strictly confine to Supreme Court guidelines in taking up the works.