Has the churning begun?

The talk of the town is that the GHMC has given wings to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s idea of emptying the iconic Hussainsagar, what with lower water levels.

May 05, 2015 09:54 am | Updated November 17, 2021 11:07 am IST - HYDERABAD:

The water levels of the Hussainsagar stood at 512.55 metres, almost an entire metre below its full tank level of 513.43 metres. Has the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) been quietly trying to ‘empty’ the iconic lake is big question?

Though it stoutly denies the ‘charge’, the fact is sluices of the water body are being repaired and more-than-usual water is being discharged from the lake. Sceptics too are far from satisfied. And when a nauseous whiff begins to pervade colonies alongside the lake, more doubts are raised in various quarters, particularly among environmental activists.

Towards reducing pollution of the Hussainsagar, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had in 2014 suggested that the lake be emptied and refilled with fresh water. Ever since, arguments and counter-arguments have ensued on the feasibility of the idea and the possible environmental impact.

Though several arms of the government are associated with the lake’s management, fingers are being pointed at the GHMC, which has allegedly taken the lead in ‘emptying’ the lake. The civic body says it had merely taken up ‘repairs of sluices and weirs’, but most do not buy the claim: they charge the GHMC of looking to release more water than before.

An official said on condition of anonymity that the daily discharge had actually risen by at least 100 cusecs after repair and cleaning work was done on four sluices – two at Marriot Hotel side and one each at Goshala and DBR Mills side. “Earlier, we use to empty approximately 50 cusecs, and now we are able to release 150 cusecs,” he reveals.

Interestingly, the GHMC, which is wont to trumpeting each of its activities, has been rather quiet on this major issue. Officials remain tight-lipped and confess they are “not supposed to say anything on the lake cleaning” or to just feign ignorance. GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar continues to maintain that only “repairs were sanctioned to weirs and sluices”.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, residents of Maktha and Begumpet areas were witness to some nauseous malodour. Most assumed it to be emanating from the lake, as it was being drained. “If such unbearable stench originates from small draining activity, then we will have no option but move out when they launch full-scale operations,” remarked Maktha resident M. Padma Rao.

Officials concede that draining through sluices will help release only a part of the lake’s water. “Then, we will have to pump out [water], but at this stage, even we do not know how it could be done,” they confess. Deploying pumps to empty the Hussainsagar could mean a lot of polluted water flowing down scores of densely populated residential areas on its way to the Musi.

Other associated departments maintain lack of information on the GHMC’s plans. “We are unaware if a proper study on [the] feasibility of pumping out [water] from the lake, which is spread over 1,200 acres, has been done, or subsequent environmental impact assessed,” a senior official of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) says.

SOUL to move court

Meanwhile, Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) which obtained an interim order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to stop dewatering of the Hussainsagar, now plans to file a contempt of court petition. SOUL’s convenor Lubna Sarwath said the water was still being let out in large quantities on Monday, despite the NGT’s orders being issued on Friday. “We are preparing the required papers and will be filing a contempt petition with the NGT on Tuesday or Wednesday for gross violation of the earlier order,” she said.

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