STATE OF PLAY
The Telangana government’s decision to scrap the 1996 order for protection of two reservoirs, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, which provided drinking water to the entire city for close to eight decades has drawn flak from environmentalists and lake activists. The government’s contention that the order famously known as GO 111 has become redundant now as the city does not draw drinking water from the twin lakes anymore, is being challenged by activists who say the move is intended to benefit real estate at the cost of the city’s conservation needs.
The contentious order, issued in the joint State of Andhra Pradesh, prohibited polluting the industries, major hotels, residential colonies and other establishments in the catchment area of the lakes up to 10 km from the full tank level. Sixty per cent of the layouts in the catchment area were to be left as open spaces and roads, and 90% of the total catchment area was classified for agriculture/horticulture/floriculture.
