FLOODED LAKE: A file picture of the heavy inflows into the Hussainsagar lake in the floods of August 2000 being let out into the encroachments-swamped Ashoknagar nala.

HYDERABAD: Brimful Hussainsagar lake presents a serene sight these days seemingly oblivious to the mayhem caused by recent rains in the city. Roads got water logged, colonies were inundated and precious lives lost.

Thus far, the inlet and outlet channels to this historic once freshwater lake had been flowing much below the danger mark.

Its full tank capacity of 513.39 metres was already reached, thanks to the incessant rain last week and despite Friday's sudden downpour, flows were very much under control.

While civic authorities ponder on ways to modernise sewer and storm water lines, there is apprehension in some quarters over the neglect of the lake itself. Leave aside pollution, some officials of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) fear inundation of more residential areas if steps are not taken to safeguard the lake's boundaries as well as catchment of inlet channels.

Hussainsagar, with a total storage capacity of 39.39 cubic million metres, has inlet channels like main Kukatpally nala, Ameerpet, Rayakunta (near Hotel Taj Banjara), Picket and Balkapur.

Though some of them have trickled inflows these days, flood-absorbing tanks have been transformed into parks like Enugulakunta (Vengal Rao Park), Yousufguda (Krishna Kant Park) and Yellareddyguda (Shyamalakunta Park).

"Development of parks was taken up to protect land from encroachment and also beautify an otherwise debris/garbage dumping yards. But, extensive landscaping should have been avoided and enough open space left for rain water absorption," avers a senior MCH official. Over the years, catchment areas of some of these inlet channels have shrunk either due to legal or illegal constructions.

Catchment area

The lake's catchment area is 240.77 sq.km and its anybody's guess how much of it is still left. Now, the MCH is planning to build piers at one of the two outlets near Hotel Viceroy ostensibly to measure water flow during a heavy discharge. Some officials are uneasy about it and feel irrigation hydraulics is different from urban hydraulics.

"Hussainsagar is at 510.5 metre height up stream and 512 ft on the lower stream. Any addition of one metre height over the existing vents will immediately increase water spread area by one sq.km (6.4 sq.km at full tank level) and this can cause inundation upstream as natural flow is being controlled," explains an official.

Areas like B.S. Makhta, Rasoolpura, Sindhi Colony and others could face flood as the lake gradient is nearly uniform all over and during heavy rain, flows could revert.

At the same time, any sudden release of water then could engulf colonies downstream what with nalas not in their best shape due to encroachments.

Solution is "channelling water flows, protecting catchment areas of inlet channels, balancing and recharge ponds, porous pavements, effluent treatment plants at source level and removal of encroachments brook no delay," affirm officials.

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