Chennai: The two-member expert committee, constituted by the southern bench of National Green Tribunal to look into allegations of dewatering of Hussainsagar in Hyderabad, is yet to make any headway. The committee members say the Telangana state government has to make the arrangements for their stay. However, there has been no word on this so far.

Though 10 days have passed since the NGT passed the orders, the expert committee hasn’t met even once. Legal luminary and Karnataka government pleader Devraj Ashok, who is one of the members of expert committee, clarified that he was ready to conduct the probe and submit the report expeditiously. However, the NGT order clearly states that the arrangements (travel, food and accommodation) should be made by the Telangana government and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. “We can’t push for it. The government should call us,” he said.

When contacted, the original petitioner, Dr Lubana Sarawath of Save Our Urban Lakes, said the Telangana government and the GHMC are the first and second respondents in the case. “The government is hell bent on emptying the Hussainsagar and had already damaged 300-year-old weirs. The government, per say, will show no urgency in calling the expert committee to look into its own irregularities”.