In a major relief for thousands of residents in the Gandhamguda area of Gandipet in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed authorities to immediately halt construction on a proposed sewage treatment plant (STP) within their colony and conduct a mandatory, time-bound review of the project’s location.
The order, issued by Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, temporarily suspends proceedings that allotted land for the 36.50 MLD capacity STP, siding with the petitioners, local residents’ welfare associations KK Nagar Phase II, Dattatreya Colony, and Sri Vigneshwara Colony Welfare Society.
The associations had challenged the proceedings issued by the Ranga Reddy district collector on August 26, which sanctioned 6 acres and 20 guntas of government land for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
The petitioners’ counsel, B Mayur Reddy and Alluri Divakar Reddy, contended that the allotment was arbitrary and violated principles of natural justice, as their repeated objections from July and August were ignored.
Furthermore, the petition highlighted that the local area’s elected representatives—including a letter from the local MLA dated July 8, 2024, requesting the site for a children’s park, and a subsequent letter from the local Member of Parliament dated September 10, 2025—had officially opposed the establishment of the STP in the densely populated residential area, which is home to approximately 3,000 families, schools, and women’s hostels. The associations proposed shifting the STP to adjacent government land.
The counsel for the HMWSSB countered the petitions, stating that the residents’ fears were “misplaced”. They asserted that the STP would utilise the latest technology, including sophisticated odour control systems, and that several similar STPs had been successfully established in other residential areas like Khajaguda, Miyapur, and Safilguda in compliance with National Green Tribunal guidelines. The court was informed that construction on the subject site had not yet commenced.
Acknowledging the core grievance that the residents’ representations were not properly considered, Justice Reddy issued a direction to the principal secretary (municipal administration), HMWSSB managing director, and the district collector to consider the petitioners’ representation for shifting the site to Survey No 97 of Gandhamguda village within four weeks.
Story continues below this ad
The court ordered an interim stay on the project, saying, “Till such exercise is conducted, status quo, obtained as of today, shall be maintained in respect of the subject property.”
The order mandates that the authorities must explicitly “take note of” the letters addressed by the local MLA and MP during their review. The matter is scheduled to be listed again on November 12 for a status update on the mandatory compliance exercise.
