HYDERABAD: Many studies and surveys have extensively documented how Hyderabad lost many of its water bodies due to rapid and unplanned urbanisation over the years. However, as Hyderabad observes World Water Day on Monday, The New Indian Express found that the city's shrinking lakes face another major problem - water pollution.
According to data available with the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) pertaining to water bodies, Hussainsagar - spread across 5.7 sq km - is one of the most polluted in Hyderabad. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) level in the lake, which must not be more than 3 mg/l, was found to be between 25-116 mg/l for all nine outlets. Meanwhile, the lake’s Dissolved Oxygen (DO) concentration, another parameter for monitoring water quality, was alarmingly low.
As per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), water bodies with DO concentrations less than 2 mg/l are known as ‘dead zones’ as they cannot sustain life. If the levels are less than 0.5 mg/l then the water is nothing more than sewage, it said.
Data shows that the BOD levels of samples collected from the Hussainsagar Necklace Road outlet were 113 mg/l in January and 50 mg/l in February, while the DO levels were 2.9 mg/l in January and 0.5 mg/l in February. Samples from Viceroy (Marriot Hotel) area had BOD levels at 55 mg/l in January and 42 mg/l in February. Meanwhile, DO levels were less than 0.1 mg/l in both months.
DO level in Musi 'frightening'
Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up the Telangana government for failing to protect the Musi river. The data also suggests that the BOD and DO levels for the river in January were also frightening.
The worst was at Moosarambagh Bridge in Hyderabad with a DOB of 16 mg/l and BO of 0.3 mg/l. City-based environmental experts and activists blame the PCB for not keeping a proper check on water pollution in the city. Even after multiple attempts from this paper, TSPCB officials remained unavailable for a response.
SEVERE CONSEQUENCES
The BOD levels of samples collected from the Hussainsagar Necklace Road outlet were 113 mg/l in January and 50 mg/l in February, while the DO levels were 2.9 mg/l in January and 0.5 mg/l in February. Samples from Viceroy (Marriot Hotel) area had BOD levels at 55 mg/l in January and 42 mg/l in February. Meanwhile, DO levels were less than 0.1 mg/l in both months