Pinnacle court said that mushrooming of illegal colonies across the state is menace to urban development

25-04-2022

There is a requirement for a comprehensive action plan by state governments to forestall these illegal colonies from developing, says apex court

Observing that mushrooming of illegal colonies across the country may be a menace to urban development, the Supreme Court Monday said there's a requirement for a comprehensive action plan by state governments to stop these illegal colonies from springing up.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai appointed senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan as advisor within the matter and asked him to suggest what are often done by the govt to prevent illegal colonies.

“Mushrooming of illegal colonies all told these cities during this country, the results are so drastic. we've got seen floods in Hyderabad and Kerala, all this can be due to irregular colonies.

“Unless there's some comprehensive action plan by the state governments so on prevent these colonies from arising, take these relevant officers to task for allowing these colonies, and thereafter one in all the suggestions is to prevent the registration in order that people don't claim equities. we are going to should find a way of creating state governments act on this. this can be a menace to urban development,” the bench said.

The top court directed that the complete records be furnished to the amicus who will submit his suggestions within period of time.

“Amicus is permitted to organize a questionnaire and circulate it to the states and union territories. List after three weeks,” the bench said.

At the outset, advocate Sravan Kumar, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that an oversized number of unregular establishments are made to be regular which results in unregulated development.

“Floods are coming because of irregular constructions. There has to be a daily proper development, even the Environment Ministry says that there must be approval,” he said.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by welfare worker Juvvadi Sagar Rao alleging that Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh governments are implementing regularisation of illegal layouts in their respective states.

The petition alleged that state governments are regularising the illegal act committed by the important estate mafia with the assistance of state officials within the respondent states.

The plea contended that the states have witnessed severe urban flooding, unregulated growth, traffic jams, shortage in drainage systems, etc which have caused irreparable loss to the general public and personal properties besides loss of life.

“But the authorities ignored the intense disasters faced by them thanks to unregulated urban growth within the Respondent State. The authorities again issued Notifications for the regularization of illegal layouts and unauthorised colonies.

“This may be a gross violation of rule of law, building rules, etc. The act of respondents will encourage illegal layouts and discourage the citizens who have followed the rule of law. The state of Telangana, particularly Hyderabad city and Warangal has faced severe flooding because of unplanned development,” the plea said.