HYDERABAD: Members of the city-based NGO, Save Our Urban lakes, (SOUL) on Thursday blamed the decreasing lake area for the city’s lowering groundwater tables. “There are 3,000 lakes recognised by the government in Hyderabad. Most of them have been encroached upon and thus, threaten the city’s lone soak pits of rain water. Water is thus unable to seep into the ground, to be used during summer,” said Jasveen Jairath of SOUL.
Addressing a press conference here, the group alleged encroachment on over 50 acres of wetlands and lake area in Miyapur and Serilingampally regions by M Bikshapati Yadav, MLA, Serilingampally.
KB Reddy, president of Janamkosam, a sister NGO of SOUL, keeping an eye on lake encroachments in the two regions, presented Google Map images and photo documentation of the rampant exploitation of the Nallakunta lake, of which the entire 10 acres have been encroached. “Taking into account encroachments made by the MLA, his family members and other associates on a total of five different lakes of the region, the encroachment is greater than 50 acres”, he claimed.
Reddy also expressed the fear that he might be targeted by the MLA, and said that he had already written to the Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, State DGP, AP State Human Rights Commission and District Collector, Ranga Reddy seeking protection for himself and his family.