NGT panel favours Telangana’ plan of dewatering lake

Hyderabad: The final report submitted by the two-member team of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has backed the Telangana government’s stand on the alleged dewatering of Hussainsagar.

The team has, in an unsigned report to the NGT, stated that a small quantity of water was indeed let out through the weir in order to carry out repairs. This was something that was already explained to the NGT by the agencies of the state government.

The report, in a way, supports the government, stating that no damage was done to the tank bed. It also stressed the fact that the summer season is the right time for repair of water bodies.

The 23-page report states that on the basis of the statistics provided by the state government and the inspection of the lake done on July 25 and August 22, the committee could conclude that there has been a release of water from the lake.

The resultant lowering of the level was commensurate with the need to undertake repair works in respect of the left-side weirs and sluices number 1 and 2 and 3, near Kukkala Thumu Dhobhi ghat, it said. The water level on the dates of the visit of the team to these sites appeared to be sufficient in order to build a safety ring bund to stop the flow-side surplus weir.

To explain why the agencies of the state government had carried out repairs (alleged de-watering of the lake) in the summer season, the committee concluded, “As a common practice, most of the repair works in lakes are possible only in the summer.”

“The purpose for which the water was being drained from the lake appeared to be for maintaining the lake water level to undertake repairs and construction of more sluices. The committee was informed that the repairs are being undertaken in order to ensure that the water levels in the lake can be maintained during peak monsoon days and avoid the contingency of a flood situation,” stated the committee in its report.

On August 22, the two-member team carried out their second round of inspection at Dhobhi ghat at Hussainsagar surplus drain at Amberpet STP.

The team noticed that the quality of water flowing out of the STP was not as per the permitted standards, and that the treatment plant was not even able to treat nitrate, leave along other heavy metals.