In a significant development, the Telangana High Court has voiced strong disappointment concerning the Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s failure to furnish details on permissions granted for using explosives in construction-related rock blasting. Consequently, the city police chief has been formally included in a public interest litigation (PIL) taken up by the court on its own initiative.
During Tuesday’s hearing (September 16), a bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin issued notices to the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, demanding a response by September 23. The PIL stemmed from a newspaper report highlighting continuous rock blasting activities using explosives in the Banjara Hills area, specifically near Nyaya Vihar, a residential complex for High Court judges.
Previously, on August 28, the bench had instructed the government to identify the official responsible for authorizing explosive use in construction within Hyderabad. However, when the matter was brought before the court again on Tuesday, Additional Advocate General Mohammed Imran Khan explained that multiple departments are involved in approving blasting activities. He noted that the Police Commissioner typically issues a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for explosive use, based on input from various agencies, including the Controller of Explosives.
Despite this explanation, the Chief Justice expressed profound disappointment that the Hyderabad Police Commissioner had not provided the requested information, even after the court had specifically sought it in the previous hearing. The Chief Justice observed, “CP Hyderabad is consciously taking into consideration the inputs issued by other departments before issuing NOC for using explosives for blasting… but the information is not furnished till today…”