The efforts to clear the land surrounding the Ramanthapur Chinna Cheruvu for the construction of a market yard faced stiff opposition from the residents of Indira Nagar on Thursday.
Residents complained that a local legislator was directing the officials to fill up the lake and construct a market yard, an electrical sub-station and a public garden in its place.
“Contrary to the Supreme Court order that no new construction activity should be taken up in the vicinity of the existing lakes in the city, except those for the beautification of the water body, our MLA B. Raji Reddy wants to convert this lake into a commercial establishment,” a resident B. Srikanth said.
“This lake is the major groundwater recharge point for the whole of the Ramanthapur area and filling it up will result in the depletion of the water level. Two canals which fed the lake are already filled with debris and this is leading to flooding of some areas when it rains,” he said. The lake which was spread in an area of 19 acres is now reduced to nine acres due to construction of residential houses, now this too is threatened, he lamented.
“Earlier we had a ground water crisis when this water from the lake was drained into Musi River. It was only after the water was allowed to accumulate in the lake that water levels improved in the area,” another resident V. Prasad said.
“Our MLA is claiming that he got permission to fill up the lake, but when we asked him to show the same we are being bullied,” he complained.
MLA clarifies
However Uppal MLA B. Raji Reddy said that the proposal to build an open garden, a market yard and an electric sub-station was meant to create breathing space for the public.
“We want to develop this area on the lines of Masab Tank and other lakes that were filled up earlier. The market yard will give the small traders space to set up permanent shops,” he said.
When asked about the Supreme Court order he said that the lake had already dried up and did not come under its purview.
File with GHMC
On the other hand, Revenue Department officials maintained that the file pertaining to the lake was already handed over to the GHMC following the Ranga Reddy district Collector's directions.
