Hyderabad: Slow cleanup work leads to hyacinth re-growth in lakes

Hyderabad: The GHMC is going slow on its assurance to give a facelift to 20 lakes under the urban Mission Kakatiya. In March, it had drawn up a comprehensive action plan to spend Rs 287 crore to clean and beautify the lakes within 60 days.

The major portion of the money was to go to building walkways, chain link fencing and other facilities and the rest on improving the lake bed, strengthening the bund and other works. The corporation began work but has not been able to enter into an agreement with any private agency. Given the pace of work, there is rapid growth of hyacinth in many lakes and contamination.

The GHMC decision was taken by then minister K.T. Rama Rao, who in reply to a complaint over Twitter about the pollution of Saroornagar lake, said the government would clean up the lake and 20 others as well. He directed municipal administration principal secretary Aravind Kumar and then GHMC commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy to prepare an action plan and initiate work at the earliest.

As part of their plan, the GHMC was to focus on core aspects like improving the lake bed, strengthening the main bund, formation of ring bund, island and sewage drains, silt trap etc in the first phase. In the non-core segment, plans were drawn up to build a-foot-bridge-cum-waste weir, chain link fencing for the water body, walkway and electrification work, water supply for plantations, and other facilities. It included construction of sewage treatment plants and beautification.

Nine months later, all of that has remained on paper. The lakes have been left at the mercy of residents who are letting sewage into the lake, making it a cess pool which gives off a stench and breeds mosquitoes. Besides, there is the growth of hyacinth. Sources said private agencies had refused to take up lake development project until the civic body clears its dues. A mere four contractors in the city are eligible to execute the project.

The corporation after holding a series of meetings has managed to persuade contractors to participate in the bidding by partially clearing their bills. Though the tenders were finalised contractors are reluctant to enter into work agreements until all the bills are cleared.

Mr Y. Shekhar Reddy of the GHMC’s lakes department said that out of 20 lakes the corporation had finalised tenders for 15 and would take up tenders for the other five. 

He said the civic body was yet to sign work agreements. He refused to specify a deadline. Mr Shekhar Reddy said the delay in the project was due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) which came into effect from September 6. He said the GHMC had sought permission to take up the work but the State Election Commission had turned it down.