Sewerage is entering the 169 lakes dotting the city. Pollution of the lake waters has happened because of rapid urbanisation and lack of infrastructure. Additionally, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the Water Board have failed to check the illegal connection of sewerage lines to storm water drains.
After lying orphaned for several years, with nobody knowing whose jurisdiction they came under, the lakes are now being taken care of by the Lake Protection Committee, chaired by the commissioner of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, with officials from the various civic departments and Ranga Reddy collectorates as members.
The duty was first passed on by panchayat raj department to the irrigation department, which gave it to the municipal administration, which again demanded adequate staff and finances to do the job. The LPC’s task is to curb encroachments, conserve the water bodies and divert the sewage. The committee has appointed a private consultant, which has given the Full Tank levels of 49 lakes in the first phase. Diversion of sewerage and cleaning the lakes will require detailed project reports because of the costs involved. Drainage water flowing into Durgam Cheruvu will be diverted at a cost of Rs 55 crore. The project will also cover two other water bodies further downstream from it.
The GHMC Commissioner, Mr M.T. Krishna Babu, said project reports envisaging costs of about Rs 350 crore are being sent to the National Lake Conservation project authorities, seeking funding to protect and conserve 60 lakes in the first phase. “The Full Tank levels of all the lakes are being marked and we (the GHMC) will erect fencing around the FTL to prevent further encroachment of the lake bed. I have asked the officials to issue notices to owners of the houses that have already come up in the FTL area,” Mr Krishna Babu added.