Rejuvenation of Amberpet Bathukamma Kunta takes off

HYDERABAD: The 5.15-acre Bathukamma kunta in Amberpet will both be rejuvenated and protected from further encroachments without demolishing any of the existing dwelling units.

Although, presently there is no trace of water, the water body was once a popular spot to celebrate Bathukamma largely due to the abundant availability of water.

The lake now looks like an abandoned land parcel that only houses wild plants and bushes.

Authorities are confident that after the proposed works are accomplished, the lake will boast of good quantity of water after a couple of rains.

It is rather unfortunate that repeated pleas for rejuvenation of Bathukamma kunta by people from diverse fields, including senior Congress party leader V. Hanumantha Rao, there was no tangible response from the authorities in the last 10 years.

As per records, the total extent of the lake was 14.06 acre in 1962-63, which, along with the buffer zone, stood at 16.13 acres. Due to utter neglect, it has shrunk over a period of years.

As part of the lake rejuvenation works that commenced on Wednesday, four heavy vehicles have been pressed into service for removal of bushes and to level the soil.

“Four JCBs have been deployed. We will clean the site and start excavation from Thursday,” said an official from Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA).

Its commissioner A.V. Ranganth visited the weaker sections colony located near the lake and comforted the residents that not even one house would be demolished during the exercise.

He said that once the lake is rejuvenated their houses will no longer get inundated and with creation of lung space on the anvil, the health and living conditions of all locals will improve substantially. He sought their cooperation in the lake rejuvenation task.