Telangana HC seeks info on sponge iron units in Mahbubnagar agri fields

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court, in a hearing presided over by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Srinivas Rao, directed the Additional Advocate General to provide an update on whether industrial units manufacturing sponge iron in agricultural fields in Mahbubnagar are still operational.

The court noted that the case has been pending since 2005.

The court was responding to a writ petition filed by T Veerander Reddy and others, challenging the government’s decision to allow private industrial units to establish sponge iron manufacturing facilities in agricultural lands across several villages in Mahbubnagar.

The petitioners argued that these industrial units were set up in agricultural fields in Ippalapally, Papireddyguda, Seriguda, Madhirapur, Farooqnagar, Kodicharla, Teegapur, Gundlapatlapally, Rangareddyguda, and Appajipally Thanda villages without obtaining the necessary permissions under the Air and Water Pollution Acts.

The High Court directed the Additional Advocate General to apprise the court of the current status of these industrial units and whether they are still operational.

The court emphasized the need for a prompt update, given that the case has been pending for nearly two decades.