HYDERABAD: Visitors to Jalagam Vengal Rao Park can now heave a sigh of relief as authorities have decided to plug the sewage water that flows into the lake inside the garden. The lake emanates a foul smell and has become a mosquito breeding ground. Sewer water flows from a slum nearby enters the lake through a pipeline which will now be diverted.
The HMWS&SB, in all likelihood, will seek permission from the police regarding the diversion pipeline crossing Banjara Hills Road No 1 in the next couple of days.
However, while the pipeline might provide a temporary relief from the stench of stagnant sewage water of the lake by diverting it to main drainage system, its efficiency will only be tested during the monsoon.
Meanwhile, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy on Sunday said, “There is one functional sewage treatment plant at the park but that would not be enough, especially when 2cm or above rainfall is recorded. The capacity of the storm drain is also inadequate. One diversion pipeline is being laid by the water board and over 90 per cent of the work has been completed. All that is needed is permission from police for laying the pipleine across the main road. That might be sought by Monday or Tuesday.”
The GHMC commissioner had made a surprise visit to the park in February and had ordered repairs to the sewage treatment plant.
Meanwhile, regular visitors to the park complain that no attention has been paid to the lake despite repeated pleas.
No action yet
In April 2015, the then GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar had promised a grant of `90 lakh to clean the water of which HMWS&SB was supposed to pay `60 lakh.