Two wastelands to come up in Hussainsagar

HYDERABAD: An ambitious plan to build two wastelands in the Hussainsagar is taking shape, something that environmentalists are suspicious of. The lake has lost more than half its land to developmental projects, and the latest one appears to be more of the same. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority proposes to develop the wasteland using the mud and silt dredged up from the lake in the ongoing process of cleaning it. The HMDA claims that the work of cleaning the lake has not been successful because there is no place to dispose of the mud and silt.

The proposed plan is to build the two wastelands of about half-an-acre each near the Kukatpally nala. Mr T. Chiranjeevulu, HMDA commissioner, said, “to ensure that the biodegradable waste that we get from the lake is not wasted, we plan to deposit it to create the wastelands which will lead to more greenery with time. Eventually, it will become a visiting point for tourists who enjoy boating in the Hussainsagar.” He said the material that is dredged up in cleaning the lake is lying heaped up alongside the lake. “Building waste land will solve this problem and we can have a cleaner lake,” Mr Chiranjeevulu added.

The HMDA claims it will not cost much as the waste land will be built with sediment that already exists. The project is expected to be completed in four to five months. Mr Purushotham Reddy, an environmentalist, said, “Building the Necklace Road itself had reduced the water spread by 50 per cent. The HMDA cannot keep taking unilateral decisions without considering the environmental impact. This project could affect the water quality. The environmental implications of this project must be heard out in a public hearing before any decision is taken.”