Hussainsagar’s weir damaged

Hyderabad: The government agencies have damaged the weir of Hussainsagar by deepening it, so that more water can be flushed out from the lake, an experts committee of the National Green Tribunal said.

In the name of repairing of sluice valves, the department used heavy machines to dig the lake bed opposite Marriott Hotel. It was also not necessary to dig up the portion opposite the Sailing Club, the committee said.

The committee was formed by the NGT to inspect the Hussainsagar and report on the alleged illegal dewatering of the lake based on a petition filed by a city-based organisation.

Former irrigation chief engineer, Dharma Rao, representing the petitioners, said, “The way in which the repairs were carried out is not technically correct and was not examined by experts.” “We have shown how repairs of the sluices were carried out by breaking the surplus weir. The government says the weir has not been damaged. Only flood water beyond the capacity of the tank should go out of the lake, but they have released the water below the FTL,” Mr Dharma Rao said.

There are other standard and cost effective methods by which the sluices can be repaired, he added.

Former government officer O.M. Debara said, “The government explained that they had lowered the level by two feet, but it is more than that.”

The NGT team comprises Professor S. Mohan of IIT-Madras and Ashok Devaraj, government pleader at the Bengaluru High Court.