Hyderabad: Encroachments, water hyacinth choke Mir Alam lake

Hyderabad: Keeping a complete blind eye over the unprecedented level of encroachments around the historic Mir Alam Lake, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) have planned to focus on cleaning water hyacinth that overpowered the surface of the water body for several years.

The 215 years old structure is the world's first Arch Bund with a length of 1.20 kilometres area. Nehru Zoological Park is located downstream of the tank. The catchment area of the tank is 5.90 sq. meters and has 21 masonry arches.

However, the lake that spreads over 5.90 square kilometres of the catchment area, has witnessed an unprecedented level of encroachments almost from all sides during the last several years and all this was not just by fluke. Officials from Irrigation, GHMC, HMWSSB, and HMDA are well acquainted with the things flowing there as usual but avoiding to act against contraventions.

The main entrance point of the lake very opposite to Danamma Huts and abutting to the boundary wall covered with an unprecedented level of encroachments with heavy vehicles overpowered the entire ambiance to such an extent that onlookers find it difficult to spot the main gate opening an avenue into the lake. Moreover, a huge garbage dumping yard exists for years very opposite to the main gate.

Besides, the water hyacinth that grabbed the entire surface of the water body posed a grave threat to the existence of the water body as over 315 acres of the lake gradually losing its space to the hands of encroachments. The GHMC took up works of sewerage diversion canal two years back to divert the sewerage flowing down to the lake from nearby hillock areas like Owaisi Hills, Mustafa Nagar, and Teegal Kunta, but was not yet completed while the filth remains to make its way into the water body and keeping it remain polluted.

The 6.5 kilometres long diversion canal is being constructed with an outlay of about Rs 7.00 crores to insure the sewage flowing into the water body from surrounding areas would first be diverted into Sewerage Treatment Plant (STPs), set up over the banks of the lake before being released the treated water into the water body.Similarly, at least five sewerage water treatment plants were set up around the lake under the supervision of HMWSSB to treat the sewage flooding into the water body from surrounding areas before releasing the treated water into the lake. However, there are several inlet points from where the sewerage remainedentering the water body and some of the inlets are so colossal that they alone can fill the entire water body with filth.

The HMDA, championing the cause of safeguarding the water bodies by promoting parks, rock gardens, and walking tracks, has appeared reluctant to carry out the mammoth task of removing hyacinth that over the years have swallowed the Mir Alam Lake, one of the biggest water bodies in the city.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad Mayor Vijayalaxmi along with officials of GHMC, HMDA, and HMWSSB has visited the lake out of the blue to take stock of the situation. She visited other water bodies located in Mailardevpally and other parts of the Rajendranagar area.

"Only after the Chief Minister hands an ultimatum to officials during the inaugural ceremony of handing over the fleet of cars to Dy Collectors, some of the officials were seen running on their toes only to save their skin. Otherwise, the tremulous situation at Mir Alam Lake itself revealed the lackadaisical and impassive attitude of the line departments in safeguarding the lake from encroachments and unhygienic condition," said Syed Shoukat Ali, community activist.