HYDERABAD: The fate of Durgam Cheruvu, a lake located between Jubilee Hills and Madhapur in Hyderabad, hangs in the balance with pollution threatening its existence.
A division bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, on Wednesday, took suo motu cognisance of a news report and directed authorities to act on the recommendations made by an expert committee in its report.
The report, prepared under the leadership of Dr Atul Narayan Vaidya, director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, sheds light on the degradation of Durgam Cheruvu.
Despite its designation as a protected area and the inauguration of the cable bridge in 2020, the lake now faces the onslaught of pollution, primarily from untreated sewage.
The report reveals that while the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has installed Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), a large portion of sewage from the Madhapur area remains untreated and is dumped into the lake. Furthermore, stormwater drains near the lake entrance compound the issue as samples show high levels of contaminants, including Total Coliform and E coli bacteria.
Encroachments within the Full Tank Level boundary and buffer zone of the lake exacerbate the crisis, with 78 structures identified within the FTL and 146 structures remaining within the buffer zone. Despite efforts by the government and private entities to develop Durgam Cheruvu as a tourism spot, the challenges persist, including incomplete fencing and litigations.
Experts’ suggestions
Short-term measures include regular monitoring of water quality, removal of silt, installation of silt trap, and enforcement of fishing norms
Long-term measures entail a fresh survey of the lake, sewage management improvements, waste management initiatives, dredging and establishment of buffer zones and green belts