HYDERABAD: Despite the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directive suspending further dewatering of the Hussainsagar lake until further orders, the State government was going ahead with the exercise, alleged members of the Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) here Sunday.
They pointed out that government agencies, including the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Water Board and the Pollution Control Board besides the Chief Secretary, were issued notices in this regard.
Co-convenor of SOUL Lubna Sarwath, citing the NGT order, said the interim order was issued as no scientific study had been conducted to clean up the lake. The government was asked to produce the file relating to the dewatering of Hussainsagar by May 22, she added. Founder-member of SOUL BV Subba Rao recalled that the HMDA, Water Board and the GHMC had disowned any plan or even the knowledge of any plan to dewater the lake in February this year in response to an RTI query. “But they have destroyed the historic 376 feet weir of the heritage water body, started dewatering and began consultations with an Austrian firm,” he said.
According to SOUL members, the government is yet to demarcate the Full Tank Level of Hussainsagar and place the same in public domain. “Earlier attempts to clean the lake have contributed to the creation of 10 hectares of land on the west side of the lake through aggressive eutrification. The government intentions are questionable,” alleged Sarwath. Environmentalist Prof Purushottam Reddy felt the government’s first concern must be river Musi.