Hyderabad: The “adopt a lake” scheme has received a lukewarm response from corporates. Apart from Wipro and TBL, a real estate company, no one has adopted water bodies in the HMDA area. Those adopting lakes have to employ watch and ward teams to check encroachments, dumping of debris, illegal constructions and tampering of boundaries. There are 2,858 lakes with the HMDA of which 168 fall under the GHMC’s control.
According to the guidelines, interested parties should allocate a budget for fencing and beautification and should not tamper with the flow of water or pathway. They should not conduct any commercial activity in the lake area. They are also not allowed to install logos or company names. TBL has adopted Peeram Cheruvu near APPA Junction and Wipro has adopted Manikunta lake at Nanakramguda.
“We have inspected the Manikunta lake. Wipro has beautified it and put fencing and grass. The surplus weir has been reconstructed as well,” said a lake protection committee officer. Thirty-four expressions of interest were submitted to the HMDA Lake Protection Committee by NGOs, resident welfare associations and corporates. They have been sent to the government that has approved them in principle but the file is pen-ding for reasons unknown, said a committee official. The committee was formed following court and government orders, with the HMDA commissioner as chairperson and member, environment, HMDA as convener. It has met twice.
