Telangana HC questions permit for blasting near Jubilee Hills’ Nyaya Vihar

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has raised serious questions over who granted permission for blasting operations being carried out near Nyaya Vihar in Jubilee Hills.

The matter came up for hearing before Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed over the issue.

During the proceedings, the counsel representing the mining department informed the court that the blasting was being conducted with police permission.

At this, Chief Justice Alok Aradhe questioned whether the police had the necessary technical understanding of the intensity of the blasts and how far the stone fragments could scatter.

He observed that permissions were being cited under the City Police Act, but with large-scale construction activity taking place in the city, there needs to be clear-cut regulations governing such blasting operations.

Letter written by sitting judge to CJ bench

The case originated from a letter written by a sitting judge to the Chief Justice’s bench, highlighting that heavy blasting was being carried out as part of building construction projects.

The letter expressed concern that such explosions, especially at night, were causing severe inconvenience to residents in the surrounding areas. It also warned that the indiscriminate removal of hillocks could severely damage the environment.

Taking cognisance of the issue suo motu in September last year, the High Court initiated proceedings.

At the latest hearing, Advocate General Imran Khan informed the bench that blasting had been permitted only during daytime between 10 am and 4 pm He sought time to file a detailed counter-affidavit with full particulars.

The court posted the matter to September 16 for further hearing.