The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : HUDA seeks funds to restore highly polluted lakes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

HUDA seeks funds to restore highly polluted lakes

87 lakes identified of which 18 categorised highly polluted
Restoration of polluted lakes to be completed within three years

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Urban Development Authority has sought funds for the restoration of 11 more highly polluted lakes under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) programme.

HUDA had earlier taken up the restoration of 18 highly polluted lakes under the Netherlands Government-funded Green Hyderabad Environment Programme.

Seven of them had been restored including Safilguda, Saroornagar, Langar Houz, Mir Alam Tank, Durgam Cheruvu and so on with the construction of Sewage Treatment Plants.

Under the GHEP, HUDA had identified 87 polluted lakes of which 18 were categorised as highly polluted. With the GHEP ending in 2004, HUDA sought Rs.67 crore for the subsequently identified 11 highly polluted lakes under the JNURM and had sent proposals to the Union Government. They are Chinnarayani Cheruvu in Alwal, Rayasamudram near BHEL, Ambar Cheruvu in Kukatpally, Patancheruvu, Mukkidi in Malkajgiri, Gurnadham cheruvu in Miyapur, Pedda Cheruvu in Chandanagar, Tangidikunta in Madhapur, Kapra lake in Kapra, Noor Mohammad Kunta in Shivrampally and Patel Cheruvu in Miyapur, according to HUDA Executive Director K.S.Reddy.

As per the comprehensive list of water bodies procured by HUDA from Irrigation department, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Corporation, there are 532 lakes and ponds in the erstwhile HUDA area. “We requested EPTRI to undertake a field survey to identify and ascertain the present state of these water bodies,” said Mr.Reddy.

The survey report would give details like inlet channels, outlets, and encroachments.

HUDA Vice-Chairman Jayesh Ranjan said protection of water bodies and restoration of polluted ones would be completed within three-year time frame.

The EPTRI survey and categorisation of water bodies was underway and adequate vigilance staff were being deployed near the water bodies.

In addition to the EPTRI survey, HUDA deputed its teams for a detailed survey of 108 lakes of which 11 highly polluted lakes were listed for JNURM funds.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh