The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Gutter pond gets ready for makeover

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Sunday, Jun 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Gutter pond gets ready for makeover

M.L.Melly Maitreyi

HUDA, BPPA to beautify the pond near Khairatabad flyover

Pond will be developed into water garden
Trees will be planted to bring in greenery

– Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Facelift: Earth movers removing mud and garbage dumped near the pond adjacent to the Khairatabad flyover.

HYDERABAD: The ‘cess pool’ like pond on way to NTR Marg near Khairatabad flyover is set to get a makeover.

Though the old 20 mld STP near Khairtabad flyover lets treated water into the pond in an extent of 15 acres, over the years the pond became silted and turned an eye sore with not only the sewage from nearby slums finding its way into it and turning the surroundings unhygienic but also with people from nearby bastis easing themselves there.

With the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board recently diverting the sewage flow from the nearby Ambedkarnagar, Mahabharath Nagar, M.S.Maktha, B.S.Maktha areas away from the pond, HUDA and Buddha Purnima Project Authority officials decided that the only way to conserve the pond was by cleaning up and beautifying it.

As the pond was heavily silted, the de-silting work was taken up a few days ago and the dug-up earth would be used to further strengthen the existing bund and to provide a walkway around the pond. Different kinds of trees and native saplings would be planted to bring in greenery all along the pond. Once the pond is desilted to increase its water holding capacity, the pond would be developed into water garden with only treated water let into the pond.

The restoration and beautifying work is expected to take about three months. Once completed, the pond with the walkway around it would provide a refreshing lung space for the nearby dwellers and provide a pleasant sight for those proceeding to Necklace Road via Khairatabad flyover, according to HUDA Vice-Chairman K.S.Jawahar Reddy.

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