HYDERABAD: Responding to multiple complaints from residents, the GHMC on Friday announced the closure of temporary drains that had been discharging sewage water into the Kapra lake. "After two consecutive spells of rain, the irrigation department created two temporary drains to divert water into the lake. However, due to mounting pressure from residents, they have been closed," confirmed a Kapra circle assistant engineer from GHMC.
The temporary drainage system had been set up to fill the lake in preparation for the upcoming idol immersions. However, residents from Sainikpuri and Kapra accused the GHMC of allowing untreated sewage mixed with rainwater into the lake.
Sharada Manohar, a resident, told Deccan Chronicle, that the lake barely had any water until less than a week ago but it was now nearly full with with unclean water.
According to Manognya Reddy from the Kapra Lake Revival Group, "Untreated water is being diverted into the lake directly from an incomplete drainage project, with a temporary channel set up to bypass the filtration system. Activists and residents here, through our blood and sweat helped restore this once stinking lake, it's depressing to see this happen again."
Reportedly, under the Strategic Nala Development Project, GHMC initiated the construction of a box drain from Nagireddy Kunta two years ago, intending to build a sedimentation dam and a filtration system. While the sedimentation dam was completed, the remediation process was delayed due to right-of-way issues.
“The original idea was to have a filter bed purify the water before it entered the lake, but after the GHMC’s recent actions, the filter bed seems to be removed, turning the lake into a sewage pool again. Instead of using the stormwater drains in Sainikpuri to fill the lake with fresh rainwater, they opted to divert sewage mixed with rainwater to appease the festival organisers," Reddy alleged.
