The Telangana High Court, in a landmark order, has asked the government to remove all encroachments from the FTL (full tank level) site of Ameenpur Lake in a bid to save the vulnerable water body. 

The order was passed by a High Court bench, comprising justices Bhima Kohli and Vijaysen Reddy, while hearing petitions to save water bodies, like lakes, in Hyderabad. The city has presently more than 169 lakes — down from 1,000 a few decades ago. 

Among the several petitions filed with the HighCourt, one was submitted by birder Rajeev Khandelwal, who sought protection from encroachers and to uphold the spirit of the Biological Diversity Act. 

When CV Bhaskar Reddy, the counsel for the revenue department, urged the court to pass an order in this regard, the court expressed its surprise, pointing out that it was the government’s duty to protect the lakes.

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By: Ratnabir