Cherlapally Lake facelift works to resume soon

Cherlapally: The 58-acre Cherlapally Lake which was once known for scenic beauty and was home to different aquatic animals including different varieties of fish is going to see the light of the day shortly.

Situated in Shilpa Nagar in Kapara Zone, the lake will be getting a facelift and fresh water as the GHMC has geared up to increase the pace of development works. Along the periphery, a pathway and parallel walking track and cycling track would be laid and the lake would be enclosed with a fence so that there is no threat from encroachers. In Mission Kakatiya phase IV, Rs 12.45 crore was sanctioned for development of the lake last year.

Srinivas, assistant executive engineer for lakes, GHMC (east zone), said, "The development works at lake started this year in January. In the first phase, the lake bund was widened up to six meters and the ring bund up to 15 meters. But other works related to ring bund, diversion of sewage water from the lake, and beautification of the surrounding area are on hold due to issues like land acquisition, tender disputes and recent heavy downpour. But within next three months, the development works would start, as the fresh tenders were called and the process is back on track".

In Phase-II, the sewage water would be diverted into the downstream of the lake and the GHMC is going to build inflow and diversion channels that would help sewage sediment and polluted water to flow from exit channels and freshwater would come up from the catchment area. Also, the desilting of the lake belt will improve the depth of the lake. At the present depth of water body is one meter and once the lake is desilted the capacity would be increased up to two meters deep.