Historic Rukn-Ud-Dowla Lake losing its sheen

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials have turned a blind eye to the Rukn-Ud-Dowla Lake, which has been serving domestic needs of residents in Rajendra Nagar for many years. The 108 acres Lake has shrunken and several encroachments came up in the area contaminating the water body.

A civic body along with Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and irrigation officials formed a Lake Protection Authority. The corporation officials, since 2012, have visited the Lake and managed to earmark full tank levels but have not constructed a fence to protect it from encroachments.

According to Dr Lubna Sarwath, co-convener of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) the historic Lake has been serving drinking water needs of thousands of residents in the area. She said that about 50 per cent of the Lake has been encroached while the Corporation officials were busy in earmarking its FTLs.

“Several authorised construction in the FTL area has turned the Lake into a sewer pond,” she said. “During the recent rainfall contaminated floodwater has not submerged several properties in the FTL area which is clear indication of encroachment,” said Dr Lubna.

When queried about the same, a GHMC Lake Protection official said that they would take up the beautification in Phase II after receiving financial assistance from the State government.

Agreeing about the encroachments in the FTL area and water contamination, he said that the Corporation would issue necessary measures to concerned departments and remove encroachers at the earliest.