People residing in FTL zone take steps to prevent flooding

Hyderabad: While the civic authorities are shifting people residing near water bodies to a safer place, residents staying in the full tank level (FTL) and buffer zone areas over the past two decades are taking measures voluntarily to prevent their houses and apartments from getting flooded.

These houses and apartments were constructed by builders who are also land sharks who encroached and occupied the FTL zone and sold to buyers. Following the recent heavy rain that has significantly increased levels in lakes, people residing nearby are not just dumping debris into lakes and nalas, but also constructing boundary walls to safeguard themselves from water-logging.

A few residents told The Hans India that while purchasing house or flats they were unaware of the FTL zone. Many had bought houses at reasonable price.

Several residents of an apartment in the buffer zone have permanently installed motors to drain out water as their basement is frequently flooding and the foundation is getting weak. They were forced to take measures, they say, as the Neknampur area falls under the buffer zone.

The municipal corporation is not taking any measures to prevent the area from getting flooded. In order to minimise inundation woes, several residents have started dumping construction waste and making temporary arrangements to stop water flow.

The civic authorities said, "GO 111 was issued in 1996, which "prohibits industries, major hotels, residential colonies or other establishments that generate pollution in the catchment of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, up to 10 km from the full tank level (FTL) of the lakes."

The GO followed the precautionary principle to protect the reservoirs which mainly meet the drinking requirement of Hyderabad. The saddest part of the GO is, despite the protection of the lakes by the government, the rapid urbanisation and selfish attitude of people have resulted in encroachment of FTL areas and the catchment area of the lakes, damaging precious water sources.

However, due to the recent heavy rain the Himayatsagar and Osmansagar have been receiving good inflows. As a result, gates of both reservoirs are being lifted and water is being released into the Musi.

All other water bodies are overflowing. This has become a major threat for people residing in the FTL zone, as they are prone to face heavy inundation. Madhulika Choudhary, a lake protection activist said, "The October 2020 floods in Hyderabad, caused due to encroachments, resulted in loss of life and property. Even after experiencing massive floods land sharks have not stopped.

Several complaints were lodged with authorities but still they are continuously encroaching lakebeds intending to turn them into residential areas."