Ahead of World Water Day, lake encroachments continue unabated

Water activists allege that lakes have become cesspools due to unchecked water pollution
A view of Public Garden Lake which has shrunk drastically due to encroachment in Hyderabad | vinay madapu
A view of Public Garden Lake which has shrunk drastically due to encroachment in Hyderabad | vinay madapu

HYDERABAD: Even as several water conservation bodies are gearing up to observe the World Water Day on March 22, encroachment of lakes in the Hyderabad city is going unabated.
Some of the encroached lakes have eventually been removed from the Hyderabad Municipal Development Authority’s (HMDA) list of lakes.
City-based water activists allege that due to unchecked water pollution, lakes are becoming cesspools with each passing day. Because of lack of maintenance, they stink and later they are filled with concrete. Afterwards, these lakes will be gradually encroached by land sharks.

“Following this, those particular lakes, are removed from the HMDA list and this is how our lakes have been shrinking in numbers,” said an activist Lubna Sarwath, who is a member of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) in Hyderabad.
“According to information received from the deputy superintendent engineer of North Tanks division of Secunderabad in January, I, along with a few other activists made a representation to the Hyderabad collector and superintendent engineer of lakes on the encroachment of lakes,” she added.

According to her, the activists had listed ten lakes-- Suram Cheruvu, Gurram Cheruvu, Shatham Lake, Devuni Kunta, Vatti Kunta, Hakeempet Kunta, Anthagani Kunta, Lotus Pond, Kotha Cheruvu and Bathur Kunta that have been encroached by taking up dumping activities and creating walking area. We requested them to take immediate action to solve the issue,” said Sarwath.The response the activists received was that the collector was already working on revised list of lakes in Hyderabad and it will be officially put up soon.

However, when HMDA executive official J Krishna Rao was contacted, he said, “The information is correct that it has been a pattern to which we have lost our lakes. It is the GHMC’s responsibility to conserve these lakes. There is a list of 157 lakes we are working on for the purpose of renovation. One lake which we have been trying to renovate is Durgam Cheruvu.”  
Sarwath further said that the Public Garden Lake was already encroached. However, the SOUL was making sincere efforts to save Banjara Lake from encroachment, she added.  

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com