TDP asks CM to protect city lakes

Hyderabad, July 30 (INN): The Telugu Desam Party has demanded immediate steps for protection of lakes in the vicinity of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

In an open letter to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TDP floor leader in GHMC Singireddy Srinivas Reddy claimed that there were 1,920 lakes in Hyderabad till 1948. However, they got reduced to 920 in 1970. After conducting survey by the NGRI, all the 920 lakes were handed over to the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.

“During the recent survey conducted by the GHMC, it is revealed that, presently there are only 531 lakes existing in the vicinity of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Where is the account of the remaining lakes?” he asked while alleged that the missing lakes have not quenched the thirst of soil, but greedy land grabbers. “Avaricious anti-social elements are behind the vanishing the ponds/lakes. They include some political and official dignitaries, prominent persons, celebrities, goondas and rowdies,” he alleged.

“There has been rapid illegal encroachments on the historic Musi River (once running at a length of 1,908 Kms), Hussain Sagar, Afzal Sagar, Miralam Tank, 3alpalli Lake, Masab Tank, Talab Katta, Osman Sagar, Himayath Sagar and many more lakes. The situation has turned bad to worse. It is so alarming that, the authorities concerned of State Government, especially Revenue Department, do not have information on the exact location, extant and topographical boundaries of Musi River, ponds and existing lakes,” Singireddy said.

Singireddy also expressed on the pollution of water bodies. “The pungent acidic slag from the factories ejecting out of the manufacturing products, is being combined into the river Musi @ 350 million litres per day, thereby the total Musi river turned polluted, contaminated and poisonous. The Hyacinth, grass, etc., is not being grown to full potential and the even the herbs, shrubs, greenery and other aquatic plants are so poisonous that, they are not suitable for the nourishment of the cattle. A major sector of cattle is wholly depended on these weeds grown alongside of the River Mush. The cattle may extinct from the GHMC limits,” he said.

While some lakes like Talab Katta have become extinct, other lakes including Durgam Cheruvu, Shamirpet lake, Bathukamma Kunta are on the verge of extinction. He said rapid urbanisation and illegal encroachments on lakes had a negative impact on the ground-water levels. He said once people used to get water by drilling borewells upto 15 feet. However, now borewells dug upto 800 feet are not getting sufficient water. 

Singireddy demanded the construction of rain water harvesting units/pits in all the premises of State Government offices, educational institutions, parks, playgrounds, parking complexes and footpaths. They should be made mandatory in all the residential colonies and commercial estates. Subsequently, all the applications seeking building permissions should be made compulsion of providing rain water harvesting pits/units in their Plans, he said.

The TDP leader said that all the encroachments on the rivers, lakes, ponds, kunta lands, etc., should be removed at once by demolishing the unauthorized structures. “A senior officer of IAS Cadre may be appointed as Special Officer especially for the purpose of protecting all the rivers, lakes and ponds and to remove the illegal encroachments by conducting a detailed survey of the rivers, lakes and ponds duly verifying the records for the last 20 years,” he demanded.