Scrapping of GO 111 will spell doom for Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's decision to do away with the GO 111 that protected the Nizam-era's two major reservoirs, the Himayat Sagar and the Osman Sagar, can prove detrimental to the city, opined environment activist Lubna Sarwath.

She further added that if GO 111 was scrapped, it might bring floods every October and September causing a massive risk to Hyderabad. "The Chief Minister should take public opinion. He cannot repeal the GO by simply stating that the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar have become redundant. It is an unscientific reason. The committee that was appointed to study the twin reservoirs also has to be dissolved and a new expert committee should be formed in its place," she added.

She further said that CM's impulsive decision could send two reservoirs into a death trap and put lakhs of acres of land at a massive risk of concrete urbanisation. Lubna told that if GO 111 was repealed by the government, then there would be no greenery at all and the entire area in the protected zone around two lakes would be mushroomed with high-rise concrete buildings.

She also pointed out that the Water Board had earlier taken up the 'Save Gandipet project' a report was submitted by the District Collector highlighting the 20,000 encroachments inside the reservoir. A map was created that projected the illegal constructions in the catchment areas.

"Repealing of GO 111 will lead to heavy water overflow after rains. The government cannot break the natural system of water coming from Ananthagiri hills to two lakes and the same water from Osman Sagar comes to Asif Nagar filter and from Himayat Sagar to Mir Alam Tank water filter," said Lubna. She demanded that the Telangana government should prepare a report on the number of illegal compound walls, farmhouses and resorts that have come up on and around the maximum water spread boundary at FTL of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar.