Click to play videoHyderabad Older than the Charminar and once the source of water for Hyderabad city, the Hussain Sagar lake is now in its death throes.
Today the lake is just half of what it was 50-years-ago because of encroachment by both government and private builders. 290 acres of the lake have turned into concrete between the years 2000 and 2003.
Necklace Road in Hyderabad is an arterial road which used to be a part of the water a few decades ago, all the commercial establishments on Necklace Road such as Lumbini Park, Imax theatre, Eat Street are encroachments. Even the parking lot of the State Secretariat itself was part of Hussain Sagar at one point in time.
The result of all these encroachments is uncontrolled pollution. Hyderabad has two sewage treatment plants that can treat 20 million litres of waste a day but lot more untreated sewage finds its way into the lake.
President, Forum for a Better Hyderabad, M Vedakumar says, “Over 155 million litres of sewage gets released into the Hussain Sagar in a day, most of which is untreated sewage. We've filed four PILs in court and despite directions by the High Court, the encroachments continue.”
Japan has given a grant of Rs 300 crore to the state government for cleaning up the Hussain Sagar, but improvement of any kind can be expected only after four years.
Chairman, Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Jawahar Reddy says, “We're using interception and diversion devices and constructing more sewage treatment plants. We're also cleaning up the gutters and laying underground drainage lines all around the lake.”
Activists warn that if action is not taken immediately to clean up and preserve the Hussain Sagar, a piece of Hyderabad's history will be lost forever.
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