Hyderabad’s Lakes Get A Fresh Lease Of Life

1700s, will be inaugurated on March 6 by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Soon after, the restored Nallacheruvu Lake in Kukatpally will also be opened to the public, with plans underway to set up a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) nearby.

This marks the beginning of a larger mission. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) aims to rejuvenate more than 24 lakes across the city. Sanctions have already been received for 14 of them, including IDL Lake, Amber Cheruvu, Gangaram Cheruvu, Peerla Cheruvu, and Saroornagar Lake.

HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath, who inspected Nallacheruvu on Wednesday, announced the upcoming projects and said discussions will be held with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) regarding the STP. Most of the rejuvenation work at Nallacheruvu has already been completed, with additional facilities such as a children’s play area and open gyms planned. The restored lake is expected to reduce urban flooding in the area while boosting groundwater levels.

Ranganath recalled that HYDRAA faced criticism when work on Nallacheruvu began in September 2024. However, he noted that the rejuvenated lake is now drawing visitors from as far as five to six kilometers away. The project began with enforcement measures, including the demolition of commercial establishments in the full tank level (FTL) and buffer zone. Once reduced to 16 acres due to encroachments, Nallacheruvu has now been restored to nearly 30 acres.