When some visitors in Durgam Cheruvu saw officials removing a boat from the water on Thursday, they were mighty disappointed.
The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), which had suspended boating operations for three months, removed the boat from the stinking lake filled with water hyacinth.
When contacted, an official said that this was because they had received a letter six months ago from the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board about stone blasting around the site to lay diversionary sewerage lines in the area around and through the lake. The Water Board wanted boating operations to be stopped due to safety concerns for tourists.
For the past few years, boating in the lake was a hit, and it meant a slow but steady source of revenue.
When operations were suspended three months ago, about eight boats were in the water. They included six paddle boats, a 4-seater speedboat and an 18-seater that came with a powerful outboard motor.
In accordance with the schedule of Water Board works and in tune with receding water levels, both because of reduced inflows following insufficient rainfall and because the Board was draining water to facilitate works, the corporation kept removing boats out of the water.
When asked, the official said that it would take at least a month or so for the sewerage line-laying works to be completed and for boating operations to resume.
