Hyderabad: Floating wetlands set to give city lakes a fresh lease of life

Hyderabad: To restore the pristine glory of the lakes in the city, the city-based NGO Dha3r has initiated a lakes revival initiative by setting up artificial floating treatment wetlands at Ramanthapur Chinna Cheruvu and Mansoorabad Pedda Cheruvu. Currently, most of the lakes in the city are surrounded by trash, water hyacinth, and sewage waste, which are major threats to aquatic life.

These floating treatment wetlands (FTW) have been set up in collaboration with the Hyderabad Runner Society, and the plants that have been planted on these FTW play a crucial role in cleaning the lakes by absorbing nutrients dissolved in the water, such as excess nitrates and oxygen, thereby reducing the content of these chemicals.

Manoj Vidiyala, Co-founder of Dha3R NGO, stated that many lakes in the city are neglected and slowly becoming cesspools due to the diversion of sewage water into the lakes, leading to the growth of algae, which depletes oxygen levels in water and threatens aquatic life. Therefore, under the lakes revival initiative, artificial floating wetlands have been set up at Ramanthapur Chinna Cheruvu in the third week of March this year and Mansoorabad Pedda Cheruvu in the first week of March.

Around 190 medicinal plant species have been planted in the Ramanthapur Chinna Cheruvu artificial floating wetland, and around 100 plants have been planted at the Mansoorabad Pedda Cheruvu wetland. The FTW is based on the soil-less hydroponics technique and comprises four layers. The base is made up of floatable bamboo, over which Styrofoam cubicles are placed. The third layer consists of gunny bags, and the final layer is gravel. Hydroponics permits plants to grow only on sunlight and water, making it an eco-friendly way of cleaning the lakes.

Apart from setting up FTW, the NGO has also installed exclusive bins for pooja waste. A goddess portrait leaning next to the bins has been kept to ensure that it would be used only for pooja waste that would later be composted, said another member of the NGO Dha3r.