The Kondapochamma reservoir near Hyderabad, considered a popular weekend getaway option during monsoon, is now out of bounds for visitors. Sightseers travelling from Hyderabad and other parts of the State have been returning home disappointed with police officials not allowing them on to the motorable road that exhibits the magnificence of the irrigation facility.
“Two persons died in the reservoir and we are not letting anyone go near the water body. We are asking them to visit later,” a police official said on Saturday.
According to police sources, two young men from Hyderabad drowned in the lake in May, prompting authorities to stop movement of people on the retaining wall of the dam. Earlier, tourists could drive up to the retaining wall and see the stretch of water.
“We are planning to create a safety mechanism so that people can visit the dam safely. We have a few proposals for developing the facility and they are being finalised,” informed an official of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC).
The Telangana government is planning to turn various segments of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project into tourism facilities, and has allocated ₹750 crore for the purpose.
“The reservoir is a vast facility. Once we start boating and other activities on the lake, we will gain control over tourist movement and make it safer for them,” said the TSTDC official.
