Telangana High Court Serves Contempt Notice to HYDRAA Chief in Bathukammakunta Lake Dispute
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday served with a contempt notice to the chairman of Hydraa AV Ranganath in the Bathukammakunta land dispute, after accusing him of going against the status quo, in the context of a tug-of-war between parties in the matter who had claimed ownership of the lakebed.
The Telangana High Court has been very strict to issue a contempt notice to HYDRAA chief AV Ranganath over alleged unauthorised activities at the disputed Bathukammakunta lakebed in Bagh Amberpet.
The contempt petitioner has been A. Sudhakar Reddy who has presented his legal ownership of the seven-acre land and has got favorable decisions on the matter in the past. Reddy complained that HYDRAA had breached the conditions of a status quo that had been imposed by a court of law, originally designed as a freeze on any activity on the land.
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Though the status quo was subsequently relaxed to enable HYDRAA to engage in pre-monsoon remedial work to prevent flooding threats in other colonies, Reddy says the agency overstepped the relief granted by the bench. He supported his statements with photographic evidence and proposed to the court to appoint a commissioner advocate of the court so as to find out the reality of the spot.
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In the hearing, the division bench, consisting of Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and B.R. Madhusudhan Rao, noted that the HYDRAA chief is represented and ordered a reply be filed. The court did not feel in favor of the commissioner at this point. Hearing in the case will be adjourned to 28th August 2025.
Background
The lakebed was to allow emergency work to tropical pre-monsoon by HDRA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency), to alleviate flooding in adjacent residential areas. The outreach of HYDRAA as opposed to its mandate has faced judicial challenge, owing to allegations by Sudhakar Reddy that it acts beyond its scope, such as tax on the restricted nature of land rights.
Significance
This is another growing trend in the vigilance of the judiciary with regard to compliance with interim orders, particularly in matters involving ecologically and legally delicate situations. It is also an indication of the increased judicial awareness relative to accountability of the civil agencies especially when it comes across the judicial mandate.
