Hyderabad: Golconda lake shrinks amid dumping of debris on the sly

Hyderabad: Lake Shah Hatam, abutting the Golconda Fort, historically a vital water source for Golconda and surrounding areas, is shrinking due to ongoing construction waste dumping. Locals are concerned that continued dumping will exacerbate the encroachment on the lake. Locals report ongoing dumping of construction waste around the lake without consequences. This has persisted for months, intensifying over the past two months due to officials’ preoccupation with the Lok Sabha polls and the Model Code of Conduct.

Despite previous efforts by authorities to safeguard the historically significant lake, construction waste continues to be illegally dumped, often under the cover of night, despite stringent GHMC regulations. “Despite strict regulations by civic authorities against construction waste dumping, the problem persists, with fresh heaps of waste observed regularly. I believe that the reduced monitoring by the authorities has given a chance for land sharks to slowly eat up the lake by dumping construction waste. Over the past few decades, this expansive lake has already seen encroachment upon its shores,” told a local activist to The Hans India, on condition of anonymity.