HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising justices T Vinod Kumar and Anil Kumar Jukanti, on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking the revival of a contempt case from 2014 regarding the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) in Hussainsagar. The court ruled that the plea was “not maintainable” and urged the petitioner to file a fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) instead. However, reiterating its 2021 order, the court directed the state government not to immerse PoP idols in the iconic lake.
The petitioner, Mamidi Venu Madhav, a social worker and practising advocate, alleged that the state government had violated the high court’s orders by permitting the immersion of PoP idols in 2021 and in other years as well.
On September 9, 2021, the Telangana High Court passed an order, prohibiting the immersion of PoP Lord Ganesha idols in Hussainsagar. Madhav argued that the state government had allowed immersion in violation of these orders. The matter reached the Supreme Court, where the state government, represented by the Solicitor General, provided an undertaking that the immersion of PoP idols would be allowed for that year (2021) due to pre-made arrangements but assured the court that no such immersions would take place from 2022 onward. Based on this undertaking, the Supreme Court closed the contempt case.
Despite these assurances, Madhav sought to reopen the case, filing five separate interim applications in the now-closed contempt case (CC.3139/2014). The high court, however, expressed serious concerns about the casual manner in which these applications were filed, questioning the relevance of reviving a case already closed by the Supreme Court.
Stating that revival of the closed case was not possible, the bench questioned Madhav’s actions, noting that he filed the petition in September 2024, just before Ganesha Chaturthi, and asked why he had not taken action in 2022 and 2023 when similar immersions took place. The judges pointed to his failure to approach the authorities concerned in the previous years.
Location of portable water tanks
LB Nagar Zone-5 Exhibition Grounds, AS Rao Nagar; Sachivalaya Nagar Officers Colony grounds; MRO office Hayathnagar; Government College Ground, behind municipal office; Cricket ground beside swimming pool at Sushma Theatre, Vanasthalipuram
Charminar Zone-2
Shivalayam Ground, Riyasathnagar; Laxmaneshwara playground, Jangammet
Serilingampally Zone-3
PJR Stadium, Chandanagar; Saki Cheruvu, Patancheru; Jawaharnagar near Saibaba temple
Kukatpally Zone-3 Chittaramma temple, Vivekananda Nagar;
HMT open place beside ESI Hospital; Kowkoor Park near water tank.
Secunderabad Zone-4
NTR Stadium-2; Azadnagar, Amberpet-2; Chilkalguda municipal ground; Maredpally playground
Khairatabad Zone-4 Ramleela Ground, Chintal Basthi; Exhibition Ground-2; Ameerpet Playground; Opp. SBA Garden, Circle 13
Location of baby ponds
LB Nagar Zone-5 Cherlapally lake; Kapra lake; Nalla cheruvu; Nagole lake; Mansoorabad Pedda Cheruvu
Charminar Zone-2
Pathi Kunta; Rajanna Bowli
Khairatabad Zone-2
Neknampur; Necklace Road
Serilingampally Zone-8
Durgam Cheruvu; Malkam Cheruvu; Nallagandla Cheruvu; Gopi Cheruvu; Gangaram Cheruvu; Kaidamma Kunta; Gurunatham lake;
Rayasamudram Cheruvu
Kukatpally Zone-7:
Mulkatwa Cheruvu; IDL baby pond, Balaji Nagar, Moosapet; Boin Cheruvu baby pond; Pragathi Nagar baby pond, Alwyn Colony, Hydernagar; Vennelgada lake; Lingam Cheruvu, Suraram; Kotha Cheruvu, Alwal temple
Secunderabad Zone-3 Sanjeevaiah Park; Safilguda; Banda Cheruvu
Location of excavation water tanks
L B Nagar Zone-2
Devender Nagar Road; Huda Bharathi Nagar, Hastinapuram
Charminar Zone-6
Friends Colony Shuttle Court; SBH Colony, Saidabad; Bathukamma Bavi, Kandikal Gate, Gowlipura; Vaishali Nagar Kaman, IS Sadan; Narsabaikunta, Mailardevpally; Sanjeevini Hills, Upperpally
Zone-6
Pillar No. 54, PVNR Expressway; Ramleela ground, Chintal Basthi; Jamsingh temple, Gudimalkapur; Dhobighat; Sanathnagar Sports Complex; Maruthi Nagar, Shaikpet
Serilingampally Zone-2 Opposite Ranganayaka temple, Gopanpally road; Saki Cheruvu, Patancheru
Kukatpally Zone-1
HMT open place (beside ESI Hospital)
Secunderabad Zone-3
NTR Stadium; Amberpet dumping yard; Chilkalguda municipal ground
