The lake is rarely visited in spite of being located next to a popular shopping mall that is visited by thousands
Water hyacinth grows in the Durgam Cheruvu as it was not cleared for many months. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: Durgam Cheruvu has the potential of being a great natural recreation spot for residents of the IT corridor for whom travelling to Necklace Road or NTR Park becomes impossible due to heavy traffic.
However, the lake is rarely visited in spite of being located next to a popular shopping mall that is visited by thousands.
Unclean surroundings with construction material lying around, water hyacinth covering a large portion of the lake, encroachments on the lake bed, lack of beautification and stink are some of the reasons for its unpopularity. Herds of buffaloes are also often seen in the water.
On its website, Telangana Tourism boasts that the lake, spread over 63 acre, has been “developed into a haven for visitors" and photos of a small portion of the lake that has been developed by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation, illuminated at night, adorn the walls of the TSTDC office claiming the lake to be a spectacular destination for tourists.
Very few seem to agree with TSTDC. Some of the reviews on Internet include, “Where is the lake?”, “Waste of time”, “Certainly not a tourist attraction”, “ill kept, smelly, no maintenance, surrounded by buildings”and “better skip this place”.
Ms Deepti Reddy, an IT employee and resident of Gachibowli, said, “What is one expected to do at the lake? Boating is closed. There is no place to sit and have a picnic with the family or spend some time with friends on the banks of the lake. Kids are more excited to go to the nearby mall than the lake.”
A TSTDC official said, “Boating has been stopped because the HMWS&SB is conducting sewage diversion works for which rocks are being blasted nearby. They sent us a letter stating that the rocks might injure someone and boating needed to be stopped. There is no plan yet on beautification of the lake surroundings. After the Water Board is done with its works there can be some plans.”
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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