Hyderabad: Durgam Cheruvu has been closed for a month now. Its pathway is filled with dirty water that overflows. GHMC officials opened it for a few days and closed it again. The lake is filled with plastic waste, which along with sewage, is harming the lake’s ecosystem much to the consternation of the visitors.
Nagaraj C., assistant executive engineer (irrigation) told Deccan Chronicle, “We have received government approval to divert storm water and sewage, but the project is getting delayed. Whenever it rains, the water flow exceeds the capacity, leading to overflow into the park.”
“We cannot be sure about exactly when we will be able to reopen the park. The drainage leaks onto the walking paths and the stink and dirty water have forced us to close the park,” he said.
Last Friday’s rains brought about a similar issue on Monday. The drainage overflowed onto the walkway, The Telangana tourism department had cleaned the polluted lake on Friday because the boating facility was getting affected.
However, officials are uncertain about how long the park will remain closed. The blockage of tonnes of plastic waste and polluted water is also leading to the death of fish in Durgam Cheruvu.
“The stormwater flowing through three manholes from the surrounding areas adds to the flow of polluted water into the lake. This gets mixed with sewage, which spills into the lake,” said Padmaja, chief general manager of HMWS&SB.
Nandini. V, an MBA student, who visits the place for her morning walks, expressed deep concern.
“Just three days back, the park was closed for the same reason. Pollution isn’t just affecting the lake but is also raising alarms about the health of water bodies across the area.”
Meanwhile, even as officials continue to blame each other for the delay, works at Durgam Cheruvu are yet to begin.
