The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Move to protect water bodies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 23, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Move to protect water bodies

Special Correspondent

CM announces constitution of Lake Protection Authority

—Photo: G. KRISHNASWAMY

Water concerns: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy interacting with C. Jayesh Ranjan, HUDA Vice-Chairman, at the sewage treatment plant at Durgam Cheruvu on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has announced that a Lake Protection Authority will be constituted immediately for protection of all water bodies in the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

After formally inaugurating the five MLD sewage treatment plants of Durgam Cheruvu at Madhapur here on Thursday, Dr. Reddy said that proposed body would be headed by an IAS officer.

In spite of the best efforts of the government, several water bodies were not getting adequate protection from encroachments, he said.

Stone laid

The Chief Minister also laid foundation stone for a flyover at Hi-Tech City junction near Cyber Towers. It will come up on Kukatpally-Mind Space IT Park Road. There would also be an underpass at Madhapur-Gachibowli Road to ease traffic congestion in the Cyberabad area. The road would have three levels of traffic, on the flyover, road and the underpass.

Tender process for the Rs.37-crore flyover was on and an agency would be selected by month-end. The flyover should be ready by 2009, said HUDA Vice-Chairman C. Jayesh Ranjan. Three or four parallel roads were identified for diversion of traffic during flyover construction and these would be developed once traffic police gave their clearance.

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Koneru Ranga Rao, HUDA Chairman D. Sudheer Reddy, Vice-Chairman Jayesh Ranjan and legislator P. Janardhan Reddy among others were present. Durgam Cheruvu’s STP was taken up by HUDA under the Green Hyderabad Environment Programme. The tertiary level of it was constructed at a cost of Rs. 8.73 crore for the treatment of sewage and letting treated water into the lake for maintenance of hydrological water balance.

Trial runs of the STP were started four months ago and lake water quality had shown improvement with decreased Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, reduced levels of phosphates, nitrates etc., said HUDA Executive Director, K.S. Reddy. Of the18 highly polluted lakes, seven have been restored and the rest were under progress.

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