Telangana high court clears PIL for hearing on Dharmasagar lake encroachments

Hyderabad: The Telangana high court overruled registry objections to a public interest litigation (PIL) on the protection of Dharmasagar lake in Nirmal district, paving the way for a formal hearing.A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin directed the court registry to assign a regular number to the petition after considering the gravity of the environmental grievances raised.The PIL was filed by a local resident, N Shravan, who highlighted the alleged failure of authorities to curb illegal constructions within the lake's full tank level (FTL) limits. The petitioner alleged that despite formal complaints submitted to the revenue, irrigation and municipal departments, no concrete steps were taken to remove or prevent these encroachments.Shravan's counsel said that although show-cause notices were issued to certain individuals, there was a lack of effective follow-up. As a result, unauthorised structures reportedly continued to rise within the notified FTL area without necessary permits from the competent authorities.In response, the court determined that the case warranted an early hearing. By overruling the "office objections" raised by the registry during the initial scrutiny stage, the bench ensured the matter would be properly listed for judicial review.