HYDERABAD: Although public parks in the city are now open, visitors are being shooed away from waterside parks at Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes. In the past few weeks, visitors who are going to see the lakes for picnics are being asked to go elsewhere as the sites remain closed.
"It has been nearly eight months now. The park has remained closed. I have totally lost my business and I see no hope. At least 400 people visited this park daily and on weekends, we had nearly 800-1000 visitors," says Mohammed Farooq, who runs a canteen next to the Jalamandali Park maintained by the HMWS&SB.
"I came here for the second time this week to see if it is open. We cannot even see the floodgates," says Nandu Singh, from Narsingi. Sitting in the parking area, he says, "I have to find other picnic spots to breathe some fresh air."
HMWS&SB officials told The New Indian Express that the parks are closed because of COVID-19 pandemic. Police are also deployed near Himayatsagar, whose gates were opened last week after it reached FTL. For security, they are still not allowing visitors to be around the reservoir. Only staff workers and local leaders are permitted inside. Citizens, who want to catch the rare sight of brimming reservoirs, are still being shooed away.
Deputy General Manager of HMWS&SB who looks after Gandipet (Osmansagar reservoir) said, "We have not received any orders from the government to open the parks or the gates of the reservoir. In fact, we were asked to erect a barricade to prevent people from coming near the reservoir for security reasons. I don’t know when the park or reservoir is likely to be thrown open for public use."