185 water bodies in Hyd decorated as part of TS Formation Day celebrations

HYDERABAD: The government celebrated ‘Ooroora Cheruvala Panduga (festival of lakes)’ as part of the state Formation Day celebrations on Thursday. In the HMDA area, all 185 water bodies had been decorated.

At a programme at Lotus Pond, minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav unveiled a booklet on lakes. “Before 2014, ponds were encroached and neglected. Since the formation of Telangana state, the ponds have been dredged and rehabilitated. They are providing drinking and irrigation water.” Farmers used to suffer due to lack of water in the past, but today the ponds have plenty of water, he said.

Srinivas Yadav said that GHMC, HMDA, revenue and irrigation departments were taking steps to conserve 185 ponds in the GHMC area. Action would be taken against anyone encroaching on lakes.

He said the government had developed parks alongside ponds for the people.

Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi said the festival was being celebrated on a large scale. She said that as per the instructions of Minister K.T. Rama Rao, 36 lakes have been adopted under Corporate Social Responsibility.