Hyderabad: Garbage burning leaves lake gasping for breath

While the unprecedented level of encroachments is choking Jalpally Lake, the unruly dumping and burning of garbage is resulting in polluting the water body and its ambient environs. With regular dumping of waste including inflammable materials by the industries located nearby, the water in the lake has become a cocktail of chemicals. Sometimes, flames are also seen emanating from these wastes as the inflammable effluents are released without proper treatment.

Starting from Mailardevpally area under Rajendranagar, the lake shares its boundaries with Bandlaguda in Chandrayangutta before completing a circle at Jalpally village under Saroornagar mandal. With no fencing around the lake, it has become one of the most vulnerable waterbodies left at the mercy of encroachers and polluting industries.

The Jalpally Lake is a notified water body, spread over 274.75 acres with a water spread area of 167.480 acres. Notified by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority with an identity number 3602, this lake comes under Maheshwaram constituency represented by Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, who is also a member of recently-formed cabinet sub-committee to oversee issues pertaining to unauthorised layouts, regularisation of plots and house sites, gram kantham and other matters.

"Dumping and burning garbage on the lake shore has become common since many years. What is appalling is the nonchalance of officials to address the issue. Though the matter was brought to the notice of Jalpally municipal chairman and commissioner, the issue remains unsolved," bemoaned Budumala Yadagiri, Ward 16 councillor of Jalpally municipality.

"We have already written to Jalpally municipal commissioner informing him about the encroachments. The issue will be discussed again, and with the help of police, appropriate action against encroachers and those dumping and burning garbage would be initiated," informed Mohammed Khaja Habeebuddin, Assistant Executive Engineer, Irrigation department.