Filled to the brim with a variety of aquatic species, the Lingappa Cheruvu in Nalgonda district was a preferred lake by the fishermen and the locals who wished to go for a swim.
The harsh summer, however, has left the lake and its ecosystem lifeless, much similar to other water bodies in the vicinity. The 18-acre lake located in Jalalpur village of Pochampally mandal has shrunk by more than 80 per cent in the last two months.
A walk through the parched lake bed shows that hundreds of fish and even birds lie dead in the cracks formed on the land. The locals say that though the lake dries up in summer, this season has been the worst in the recent years.
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“The lake getting emptied due to hot weather is not the only problem. The water is getting increasingly polluted due to the industries in the surrounding areas. This season, the lake has dried up faster and the water that is left over will also disappear in the next one month. Since the fishermen figured it out, they tried to net a large quantity of fish,” said P. Rajaiah, a farmer from the village.
Mission Kakatiya
According to the local revenue officials, Pochampally mandal has about 100 lakes. Out of these, a majority have completely or partially dried up. Eighteen lakes from the mandal have also been identified for Mission Kakatiya, the flagship project of the TRS Government aimed at protecting and rejuvenating the water bodies across Telangana. Nine out of these 18 lakes have completely dried up.
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The local farmers are also facing problems since the groundwater levels are dipping and irrigation for their fields is hit.
“Residents of a few villages are facing problems about drinking water but rest of the people have access to piped water supply. The Panchayat Raj Department has taken five borewells on lease and supplying water to the needy ones,” informed Vijaya Kumari, Pochampally Tehsildar.