The Hyderabad High Court issued notices to around 30 professional colleges located within a 10km radius of the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes in the city.
The colleges were sent notices, as they allegedly violated Government Order (GO) 111, which prohibits any construction activity within 10km from the lakes' Full Tank Level (FTL).
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Quality Foundation Organisation, which reportedly complained that these institutions got approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), despite the prohibitory orders.
The petitioner also claimed that these buildings were a major source of pollution, and even affected the inflow channel of the lake.
Serving notices, the court gave the respondents three weeks to file a counter on the matter.
Last week, the court had pulled up the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for the constructions that had come up in the area.
In response, the HMDA's counsel had argued that around 84 villages fell under the area covered by GO 111, and pointed out that many locals had demanded that the 10km area be reduced.
Built in 1920 after the Musi floods of 1908, the Osmansagar reservoir, also known as the Gandipet lake, provided drinking water to Hyderabad in the early 20th century.
The Himayatsagar was built later, in 1927, for the same purpose.
GO 111 was issued in 1996, and "prohibits industries, major hotels, residential colonies or other establishments that generate pollution in the catchment of Himayatsagar and Osmansagar, up to 10 km from the full tank level (FTL) of the lakes."
In February this year, activists released photos, and alleged that the state had gone ahead and built a road right inside the FTL of the Osmansagar lake, near Kanapur village.