Bhatti: 171 Lakes in City Encroached During BRS Regime in 9 Years

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday revealed that as many as 171 lakes within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) limits in Hyderabad were encroached during the nine-year rule of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.

Bhatti Vikramarka made a PowerPoint presentation at the Secretariat on encroachment of lakes in Hyderabad based on satellite images from the Telangana Remote Sensing Applications Centre (TGRAC). In his presentation, he outlined the encroachments that occurred between the formation of Telangana state in 2014 and December 2023, when the BRS demitted office.

Satellite images from 2014, when Telangana was formed, were compared with images from 2023, showing how several lakes that were once thriving water bodies have been either partially or fully encroached.

According to the data, Hyderabad had 920 lakes in 2014. Of which, 225 lakes were fully encroached, 196 were partially encroached, and 499 lakes were free from encroachments.

However, during the last decade, the situation worsened, with 20 lakes that previously had no encroachments now fully occupied, and 24 lakes that were partially encroached upon earlier being completely overtaken. Encroachments significantly increased in another 127 lakes.

Bhatti emphasised the Congress government's commitment to protecting Hyderabad’s lakes, which he described as public assets. "The lakes in Hyderabad belong neither to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy nor to me. These are the property of the people of the city, and our government's agenda is to conserve them for future generations," he stated.

Bhatti asserted that the government’s focus was currently on clearing encroachments in the Full Tank Levels (FTL) of lakes, and the issue of buffer zones will be addressed later. He acknowledged that encroachments in buffer zones were even more widespread but clarified that the current action was focused on FTL areas.

He reiterated that the responsibility of preserving these lakes extends beyond the Chief Minister and himself, stressing that it is a collective responsibility. "If we don't prevent lake encroachments now, we will not see lakes in the city in the future."

Referring to reports about the Musi river rejuvenation project, Bhatti dismissed claims that the state government was spending Rs 1.5 lakh crore on the initiative. "The project is still in its initial stages, and we are yet to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR). How can opposition leaders spread lies and mislead people about a Rs 1.5 lakh crore expenditure?" he questioned, adding that the government remains open to suggestions from all stakeholders.

He also referenced the success of the Sabarmati river rejuvenation in Gujarat, urging the opposition to take inspiration from similar projects across the country rather than criticising the government's efforts.