Fifteen lakes in the city peripheries could get their boundaries demarcated and pillars planted in the coming months as per recent directions from Ranga Reddy District Collector, A. Vani Prasad.
In a meeting held recently with the Revenue, GHMC, Irrigation and other officials, the Collector has asked the latter to take up works pertaining to these lakes on priority, as court cases are pending over their protection.
Survey next month
Civil society activists and groups have filed a number of Public Interest Litigations (PIL) over encroachments within the Full Tank Level (FTL) of these lakes.
The lakes for which FTL demarcation will be done include Eerla Cheruvu in Madinaguda, Gangaram Pedda Cheruvu and Lingamkunta in Chandanagar, Yellammakunta, Khajakunta and Pariki Cheruvu in Kukatpally, Patel Cheruvu in Miyapur, Ambeer Cheruvu in Quthbullahpur, Boini Cheruvu in Balanagar, Suleiman Cheruvu and Oora Cheruvu in Rajendranagar, Tammidikunta and Medikunta in Khanamet, Pedda Cheruvu in Ramanthapur, and Maqtha Mahabubpet Cheruvu in Serilingampally.
Ms. Prasad has directed officials to see to it that the survey of these lakes is taken up next month so that their coordinates can be fixed and superimposed on the revenue maps. FTLs for each lake are to be fixed and pillars are to be planted to demarcate them.
Funds for the same could be tied up with either the GHMC or HMDA, as the district does not have any fund allocation earmarked for it, officials said.
For early completion of works, teams of four members each will be formed with officials from GHMC North Tanks Division, Survey Department, and Revenue Department and made responsible for works pertaining to a few lakes each, they said.
FTL demarcations
According to a study conducted earlier, 99 of the 127 water bodies identified for protection in the city peripheries have encroached to various extents.
Of them, FTL demarcations have been done for 54 tanks, though they are not superimposed on the revenue maps as yet.
The Collector has reportedly asked the Survey and Land Records officials to take steps to complete the superimposition of the survey work for these tanks within 10 days.
