Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday said the government would protect tank FTL boundaries and act against damage or encroachments affecting water bodies.
Uttam said the government had committed itself to protecting tanks, ponds and other water bodies. It would also safeguard fishing communities whose livelihoods depended on these resources.
Responding to issues raised during a Legislative Council discussion, the minister said the government would take violations seriously. These included damage to tank FTL boundaries, encroachments and hardships faced by fishing communities.
He directed Irrigation officials to personally inspect the specific issue brought before the House. The officials had to conduct the inspection within a week. They would also identify measures needed to protect the water body and address concerns raised by local communities.
“I am completely committed to the protection of our tanks and their FTL boundaries. If there are specific instances where FTLs have been damaged or fishermen have been affected, bring them to my notice and we will act,” Uttam assured the House.
Tank FTL boundaries to get monitoring support
Uttam said the government had initiated a process to constitute committees for all tanks. Similar committees had existed in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.
However, authorities subsequently discontinued that system. The government had now decided to revive the mechanism following recommendations for better management and protection of water bodies.
The minister also said authorities had geo-tagged around 44,000 tanks. As a result, the government had an important database to support their monitoring and conservation.
Moreover, Uttam said the government would allocate additional resources wherever necessary for tank protection. He stressed that a shortage of resources would not prevent necessary conservation measures.
The minister reiterated that tank conservation and protection of tank FTL boundaries would remain government priorities. Safeguarding the livelihood interests of fishing communities would also receive priority.
He further assured the Legislative Council that the government would act on specific violations brought to its notice. The government would take damage to water bodies, encroachments and livelihood concerns seriously, he said.