Who permits rock blasting in city: HC seeks details in PIL hearing

The Telangana High Court, on Thursday, raised a query as to which officer was empowered to permit blasting of rocks in the city.

A Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G. M. Mohiuddin, hearing a taken up PIL petition, sought to know within two weeks, which government wing was competent to give consent to blasting of rocks.

The HC took up a newspaper report published in 2024 suo motu as a PIL petition and issued notices to the government seeking details over continued operations of rock blasting in areas close to Nyaya Vihar (HC judge quarters) at Jubilee Hills.

While hearing the plea on Thursday, the CJ noted that Hyderabad is known for its rock formations. He wanted the authority, which was competent to accord permissions for rock blasting, to be impleaded in the matter. “We want to know who is the competent authority for permitting the blasts,” the CJ said.

The Bench also wanted the Mines and Geology Department to assist the court to assess and understand the consequences of razing the hillocks to ground not only in the city but also in other parts of Telangana. The Bench expressed dissatisfaction over the response of the government in the matter.

Additional Advocate General Mohammed Imran Khan informed the Bench that the government would file a counter affidavit within two weeks. The Bench posted the hearing to September 16, noting that the issue as to which authority rests the power of permitting rock blasting appeared to be a grey area.