Demarcation of 2,500 lakes may favour land grabbers

Hyderabad: The job of demarcating the 2500-plus identified lakes in the HMDA area has given rise to several questions.

Environmentalists complain that fencing for most of the lakes is not being done as per the original water spread (actual FTL) and the HMDA, with no original maps, is demarcating the present water spread, which includes the encroachments, favoring land grabbers. Meanwhile the civic body is blaming the government stating that it needs to claim the private patta lands which in turn needs huge funds.

Not a single lake has been spared by government bodies and the general public. The Golnaka Nala at Amberpet has been closed owing to garbage dumping and the same activity is on at Pedda Cheruvu (Meerpet), Saroornagar, Rajanna Bowli Lake, Aliabad and Beeramguda Lake, Patancheru. Giant weed is covering the entire Kaidamma Kunta Lake at Serilingampally, a sewerage treatment pla-nt has been set up in the FTL at Rai Samundram (Bhel Township Lake) —Ramachadrapuram.

“The original FTLs are different from the present water spread and fencing has been done favouring the encroachments without removing them. The irrigation department needs to certify the maps of the water bodies and only then can the HMDA go ahead with the demarcating. So far the civic body has not put up the maps for public viewing as well.

Most of the lakes have been incorrectly fenced by the private consultancy firm appointed by the HMDA; private patta lands has so far not been claimed,” complained an environmentalist. The HMDA is blaming the government for not acquiring the private patta lands because it needs huge funds to pay private parties and claim the land.

Chakri S., member of Save Our Urban Lakes, said over 16 acres of Chepala Kunta at Saroornagar had been encroached by dumping garbage.” Land grabbers were encroaching on huge tracts in the name of religious structures. The number of lakes under HMDA jurisdiction are 3000.