HYDERABAD: Getting stuck on a boulder with polluted lake water emanating toxic froth all around you is a situation that no one would like to get into. However, that was the exact situation that three girls got themselves into on Saturday, while on a cleaning drive in the surroundings of Ibrahim Cheruvu, near Neknampur in Manikonda village, as part of the Swachh Internship programme started by GHMC.
Madhulika Choudhary from Dhruvansh NGO was present when the incident occurred. “We had requested the GHMC for a team of volunteers to clean the shores of the Chinna Cheruvu in Neknampur, following which they sent a team of about 120 students who volunteered to be part of the Swachh Internship. After removal of plastic and other waste from Chinna Cheruvu, we shifted to the Pedda cheruvu(Imbrahim Cheruvu) where the incident occurred,” she said.
“While everyone was conducting the cleaning drive, three girls who had volunteered for the internship lost their way and ended up reaching a spot near the outlet channel of the lake. They could not make their way out through the outlet channel which is about seven feet wide, as it was completely covered with toxic foam which made it difficult to assess the depth. They climbed on to a boulder and sat on it. Although we were telling the girls to go back the way they reached the spot, they were too scared to do it,” she further said.
GHMC officials formed a human chain link through the outlet channel of the lake and helped the three girls crossover to the other side where other volunteers were assembled.