Everything seems to be fair in the name of Swachh Hyderabad. Even if it means cutting the nose to spite the face. The cleanliness drive launched by the government is spelling doom to a promising lake in the city. It is gradually getting throttled to death - all in the name of operation clean up.
The Shatam Cheruvu in Toli Chowki is facing the biggest threat to its existence. For the last two days lorry loads of debris and garbage is being dumped on its shore bed with ministers and officials supervising the whole thing. Interestingly, this flies in the face of the Mission Kakatiya which aims at restoring and repairing tanks and lakes at a cost of Rs. 20,000 crore.
Apparently the GHMC has miserably failed to get its act together properly. Cleaning up garbage from one area and dumping it into a lake abutting a bustling locality hardly makes sense. Residents are unable to understand why the debris is being dumped near the lake. Their objections are simply brushed aside as tippers with ‘Swachh Hyderabad’ banners keep dumping the waste into the lake. Heaps of debris can be seen on the Shatam lake bed on the Mohammadi Lines –Jamalikunta road. A JCB machine quickly levels the debris.
“It is a historic lake and government ought to have cleaned and beautified it. But strangely government itself is killing it”, rues Mohd Afzal, Convenor, Civic Watch, Association for Protection of Civil Rights.
Originally the Shatam cheruvu was spread over 76 acres and its water was also used for drinking purpose. Now it is mostly encroached and what is left of it is also in a bad shape. Water hyacinth has grown in the lake giving an ugly look and awful odour. “We face lot of mosquito problem due to the unhygienic surroundings and polluted lake”, says Masood Ahmad, a businessman.
What the Shatam cheruvu would look like when the Swachh Hyderabad campaign ends is anybody’s guess.
