GHMC's 40-cr project to save lake at risk

Rajendranagar: In an instance of lack of coordination between two departments, the GHMC remains critical about the works being taken up by the Roads & Building Department's ongoing project of 'augmented slab culvert' close to the Mir Alam lake and undoing what was done to protect the historic lake.

At a time when the GHMC's Irrigation Department is spending several crores of rupees to protect Mir Alam Lake from getting polluted with the inflow of sewerage from upstream areas, the R&B Department on the other hand is busy in paving way for the free flow of filth directly to the water body by constructing 'augmented slab culvert' close to the lake by increasing the size of already existing sewerage line.

While the GHMC Irrigation Department has already started the works of diverting the sewerage inflow from upstream areas to STPs (sewerage treatment plants) with an outlay of several crores of rupees. The measure is to ensure the sewerage drives into STPs through the diversion channels instead of flowing directly into the lake.

However, R&B Department with the help of liasoning agency the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL), has taken up work for replacement of existing line with augmented slab culvert.

According to A Satya Narayana, Deputy Executive Engineer, Department of R&B, a slab culvert was being constructed to pave way for the free flow of sewerage from upstream areas. He further said that the proposal was pending since a year and have got the approval only recently for the construction of slab culvert on Afzalgunj to Aramghar road. He also informed that the slab culvert was being constructed with an estimation of Rs.40 lakh.

GHMC apprehensive

about the project

These works have raised many an eyebrows in the GHMC Irrigation Wing where officials are arguing the logic behind construction of an augmented slab culvert for the free flow of the sewerage into the water body. According to the GHMC officials, the sewerage flowing directly into the water body in a big way would make it difficult to keep the water body safe from the filth and muck. "This would in fact turn the lake into pond of filth and could cause severe damage to the natural resource that carries a marvelous glory of its time," said an official with the request of anonymity.

"We have communicated our concern to the R&B and a response is awaited in this regard. Allowing this to happen would cost us over 40 crore rupees besides damaging to the historic lake," he added.