Water tankers suspected of illegal extraction of groundwater in Tellapur have ₹1.6 lakh in unpaid traffic challans | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: The rush of private water tankers across Hyderabad’s western corridor has come with a spate of traffic violations, with several vehicles booked for wrong-side driving, dangerous driving, drunk driving and unauthorised parking, besides routinely flouting heavy-vehicle entry restrictions, according to official data.An examination of Telangana’s e-challan records for 14 tankers allegedly involved in illegal groundwater extraction in Tellapur on Saturday revealed a pattern of repeated violations across multiple locations in the city, with cumulative fines of over ₹1.6 lakh.Gachibowli traffic police limits saw the most violations, with the same vehicles being issued multiple challans at the same locations over several months. Wipro Junction and Raidurgam also featured prominently, while violations were also recorded in Madhapur, Narsingi, Nanakramguda, Parvat Nagar and Gowlidoddy.Most of the penalties were for heavy vehicles entering roads where DCMs and other restricted-category vehicles are prohibited under the Motor Vehicles Act. However, some records point to more serious road safety violations, including wrong-side driving and dangerous driving. One vehicle was booked in a drunk driving case, while other offences pertained to driving without a licence and allowing an unauthorised person to drive. Other violations included obstruction of carriageways and unauthorised parking.One of the vehicles alone accounted for fines of nearly ₹65,800, while another had accumulated penalties of around ₹26,100. Several others had multiple challans ranging from ₹3,000 to over ₹11,000. The 14 vehicles together had outstanding fines of ₹1,58,400, with an additional ₹4,515 in user charges, taking the cumulative amount displayed on the portal to ₹1,63,115.The vehicles were identified by this correspondent by matching their registration numbers with footage circulated by Tellapur residents after they intercepted nearly 40 private water tankers allegedly transporting groundwater extracted illegally from unauthorised points in the region.Beyond the traffic challans, the pattern of dangerous driving, wrong-side movement and unsafe parking by heavy tankers poses a significant risk to other road users.“We received a govt order only a few days ago authorising us to take action against unauthorised groundwater extraction points. HYDRAA has identified several such locations and will intensify enforcement to stop the commercial exploitation of groundwater. We are also encouraging citizens to make better use of underutilised sewage treatment plants (STPs) to improve water reuse and reduce dependence on groundwater,” said HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath.“Most of the violations involving private water tankers pertained to rash and drunk driving and entering the city during restricted hours. We also recorded some fatal accidents involving water tankers last year. However, the number of such incidents has come down this year,” said Hyderabad joint commissioner of police (Traffic) Joel Davis.Cyberabad joint commissioner of police (traffic) Sunpreet Singh said action would be taken against vehicle owners if they failed to clear unpaid challans within 45 days. “We cannot seize vehicles solely on the grounds that there are pending traffic challans. We are working on a detailed enforcement plan under which vehicle owners will be given 45 days’ time to clear their pending fines if they do not challenge them in court. If they fail to do so within the stipulated period, authorities will initiate further action, including vehicle detention, in accordance with law,” he said.