Clean-up of water bodies commences

Hyderabad: Lakes in the city are facing extinction due to the problems of water hyacinth, weeds and also floating materials such as plastics and domestic wastes flowing into the lake through nalas. Water hyacinth and weed growth in the lakes also cause mosquito menace in addition to the foul smell emanating from the lakes.

In what can be termed as a major step in cleaning up lakes filled with trash and hyacinth, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) on Monday pressed into service two Floating Trash Collectors (FTC) each costing Rs 1.5 crore at Chandan Cheruvu at Jillelguda in Saroornagar and at Rampally Lake, Keesara. The clean-up programme was formally inaugurated by Arvind Kumar, the Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development), on Monday.

HMDA has inked an agreement with an agency to operate and maintain the trash collectors for 2 years. The floating trash collectors move in the water body duly collecting the trash including water hyacinth and weeds. They will be deployed at the lakes in urban areas filled with water hyacinth and would be shifted to other lakes regularly to keep the lakes clean.

The schedule for deployment of the Floating Trash Collector is proposed in the following lakes for the next 2 months. The Chandan Cheruvu, Jillelguda (V), Saroornagar (M), RR district, Mancheryal Talab, Meerpet (V), Saroornagar (M), RR district, Rampally Lake, Rampally (V), Keesara (M), Medchal-Malkajgiri Dist, Annarayuni Cheruvu, Nagaram (V), Keesara Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district. Once these lakes are cleaned up, then more lakes would be taken up in a similar way.