Representatives of habitations along the Musi river and civil society activists expressed their concerns over river pollution with the inspection committee sent by the National Green Tribunal.
In their plea on Saturday to the committee, the representatives said that diversion of nalas to bypass Hussainsagar is polluting the Musi river downstream, despite the existence of sewerage treatment plants at Amberpet and Nagole. The two-man inspection committee arrived in the city on Friday to establish facts concerning the diversion of sewerage into Hussainsagar and its impact on river Musi.
Members of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL), who petitioned the NGT in May this year against the State government’s plan to dewater Hussainsagar, said that the government has not stated transparently its objective of carrying out works in Hussainsagar. The activists alleged that the government is demolishing the existing weir and sluice near Sailing Club, but maintains that it is only repairing the existing sluice and weir. “Deep trenches have been dug right from the demolished weir till the lake bed and from underneath the bridge,” said SOUL convener Lubna Sarwath.
She said it’s not clear what the purposes of these works are. When asked, members of the NGT inspection panel declined to reveal details as the matter is subjudice.
