Erragadda residents relieved as HC stays graveyard work till October 23

HYDERABAD: Residents of Erragadda have welcomed the Telangana High Court’s interim order staying construction of a proposed graveyard in their locality till October 23. The decision came as a major relief to locals who had been opposing the government’s move, citing the area’s dense residential and industrial development.

Chekuru Hanumanthu Naidu, former president of Kalpatharu Residents Association, said the High Court directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the revenue department, and the Telangana Waqf Board to file their counters by October 23. “Earlier, the court had dismissed similar claims, stating that the land did not belong to the Waqf Board,” he said.

Residents to file new writ petition

Following the court’s stay, the residents are preparing to file another writ petition, seeking directions to the state government not to use the site for burials. “There have been no burials here for the past 60 years. All residential associations, including Brigade Citadel, Vasavi Brundavanam, Kalpatharu Residency, and Janapriya, oppose the move,” Naidu said.

The residents said the government’s decision had created panic in the area. They warned that any attempt to continue the construction could adversely affect the ruling party’s prospects in the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly bypoll scheduled for November 11.

Locals cite urban development, political motives

G. Hanmanth Rao, president of Vasavi Brundavanam Residents Association, said Erragadda had evolved into a major residential and industrial zone and was no longer suitable for a graveyard. “They demolished the compound wall early in the morning to favour a section of people for vote-bank politics. If the government does not withdraw the proposal, around 10,000–15,000 votes could be impacted,” he said.

Jagadeshwar Rao, a resident of Kalpatharu Residency, said members of the Muslim community themselves had opposed the location. “They told us they had requested land in Shaikpet or Madhapur, not Erragadda. Everyone, including them, is against establishing a graveyard in the middle of residential colonies,” he said.