Hussainsagar Lake stench raises a stink

Hyderabad: Once a popular recreation destination in the city, Hussainsagar lake is today in near isolation, thanks mainly to the unbearable stench rising from its waters, which has resisted all efforts by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), using world class technology worth crores of rupees, to remove it.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has allowed sewer water to flow directly into the lake since September 2017 in order to repair the sewer line at NTR Gardens. Besides, effluents from Kukatpally Nala have worsened the situation.

Various non-government organisations (NGOs) have reportedly been hindering every move of the government to improve the condition of Hussain Sagar, approaching the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against every government initiative. In the process, the stench and mosquito menace surrounding the lake have gone from bad to worse.

Footfalls at Boats Club, Lumbini Park, and Eat Street have come down rapidly. Venkatesh, a receptionist at Boats Club, says though the situation has improved slightly over the past fortnight, the stench and mosquitoes have made visitors avoid the open air.

In 2015, the Telangana government proposed a de-watering and cleaning up of Hussain Sagar, and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao directed civic agencies such as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), HMDA and HMWSSB to clean up Hussain Sagar by first emptying the lake. The agencies held a couple of meetings and concluded that the lake could not be cleaned unless the nalas releasing sewage into it were diverted.

The project subsequently gathered dust as NGOs approached the NGT to stop the work, though HMDA has already spent about Rs 280 crore of the total Rs 360 crore sanctioned by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for cleaning up the lake.

Later, the government concluded that the clean-up requires expert advice and use of the latest technology, following which it decided to take help from Vienna-based Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). A team from AIT inspected the lake and its surroundings before sending a proposal to the government. There has, however, been no follow up on this as AIT said it would charge about Rs 80 lakh for consultancy services.