Bon to die thanks to the apathy of civic body, Secunderabad Cantonment Board

Hyderabad: Bon Cheruvu, the largest flood regulating lake in the Secunderabad area, is encroached upon and polluted due to official apathy.

The manmade lake, also known as Hasmathpet Lake, spanned 65 acre when it was built. But surveys done by research associates and activists from the city indicate that it is now only around 25 acres. Every monsoon, there’s fear of flooding as the full tank level has been flouted by destroying the weirs.

Activists and resident welfare associations have been fighting to protect the lake for the last eight years but they say that whenever the issue comes up, concerned civic authorities play blame games.

“A large portion of the lake (around 60 per cent) falls under the erstwhile Kukatpally Municipality, which is now under GHMC. The rest of the lake falls under the jurisdiction of Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB),” said Mr B.V. Subba Rao, founder-member, SOUL, adding that the corporation, the HMDA deny jurisdiction.

Rampant encroachments by high-rise buildings have diminished the original boundaries of the lake and the threat of floods in the event of heavy rains is increasing every year. The lake takes surplus water from other smaller lakes of the area.

Apart from this, water contamination too hasn't been curbed by the authorities, said residents.

Residents and activists have been approaching various departments for over eight years now. Encroachment of the lake by apartments, independent houses, destruction of weir and sewerage pollution are some of their complaints.

Written complaints have been given from Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL), a citizen’s initiative to save the lakes of Hyderabad, from July 2012 onwards.

“After that, in January 2014 we petitioned to the Lokayukta, the Lake Protection Committee and WALTA authorities. Later we submitted a petition to the newly formed Telangana government’s environment minister at a function near Public Gardens on June 5, 2014. After that we approached the irrigation minister in January 2015 at the Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute of Andhra Pradesh (MCHRD),” said Ms Lubna Sarwath, convenor of SOUL, about the various attempts.

However, there has been no response from the authorities on the encroachments and the pollution.