The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Futile effort to save Hussainsagar?

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Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Futile effort to save Hussainsagar?

Sewage continues to be dumped into the water body

— PHOTO: P. V. SIVAKUMAR

Crying for attention: Sewerage being pumped into the Hussainsagar lake near Ministers Road.

HYDERABAD: Experts from different parts of globe congregate in the city to deliberate ways of saving water bodies.

Pollution

The backdrop for the interaction happens to be an initiative on Hussainsagar, the lake which from a source for irrigation and later catering city’s drinking water needs has become a cesspool of pollution.

But even as the exchange of views and technologies is happening at the meeting organised by Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), hardly a kilometre from the venue, motor pumps lift sewage from manholes and dump them into the lake peripheries.

A little distance away on the opposite side of Bharani Complex, two pumps have been stationed along the manholes for transfer of the stink.

And environmentalists say the practice has been going on for quite some time.

Cooperation

To restore and manage the lake, HUDA is offered technical cooperation by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and experts from the agency are part of the workshop which has the agenda ‘Sustainability of Lake Remediation and Intervention’.

Environmentalists hint at the irony of the situation. Says activist Anuradha Reddy, “It’s ridiculous and reflects the fact as to how serious we are not at saving Hussainsagar. Proceedings are on to save water bodies with international participation and a small distance away, the lake continues to be defiled”.

Those manning the pumps claim have to been deployed by a contractor. “One manhole is emptied into what could lead to the lake water while the other is pumped out into the reclaimed land,” she points out.

Umpteen water bodies of the city have been lost from lack of care and attention and even when mega plans to cleanse Hussainsagar are under way, the practice of pouring pollution has not been attended to, says the environmentalist.

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