HYDERABAD: Due to ongoing legal issues and other local concerns, some corporate firms have backed out from their commitment to revitalize and conserve water bodies in the city under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This has affected the restoration of the lakes, prompting the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to reassign them to other organisations within the same district.
Six CSR agencies, including those responsible for Safilguda Lake, Masjid Banda Lake, Wipro Lake in Nanakramguda, Madinaguda Lake, Nanakramguda Lake in Serilingampally, and Meedikunta Lake, have reported difficulties in carrying out work at the adopted lakes due to legal complications, resulting in their withdrawal from the project.
Last July, the GHMC standing committee approved the adoption of 25 lakes for conservation by various agencies at their own expense under the CSR initiative for a two-year term. However, the Hyderabad Lakes & Water Bodies Management (HL&WBM) department of GHMC allotted three lakes - Safilguda, Wipro Lake, and Meedikunta Lake - without conducting a proper evaluation, despite the fact that these lakes had already been developed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC).
To remedy this error, GHMC has identified alternative lakes for reassignment to agencies under the CSR program, which has been approved by the GHMC standing committee. The newly designated lakes include Chinnarayuni Cheruvu in Alwal (assigned to Jain Construction), Chakalivani Cheruvu (Sumadhura), Nanakramkunta, Oakbridge School (Vamsiram), Erla Chervu (Indis Smart Homes Private Limited), Edgavani Kunta in Gopanpally (Jayabheri Properties Private Limited), and Gosai Kunta in Gopanpally (Phoenix Group).
GHMC officials have revealed that three new corporate agencies have expressed interest in adopting three newly proposed lakes for development and have submitted a proposal for the same. These agencies include Kotha Cheruvu (Hitex Limited), Wipro Lake, Nanakramguda (TSIIC), and Khajaguda Lake (Divyasree NSL Infra Structure Limited, Midas Project Private Limited). GHMC will sign a two-year agreement with the three agencies after receiving approval from the standing committee.