Cesspool turned hangout spot with scientific means, no more mosquito and foul smell
Hyderabad: A pond in Lake View part, once a cesspool, has now turned out into a beautiful hangout spot for citizens. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has not only been releasing treated water in to the pond but also using membrane filtration and others techniques to eradicate mosquito menace and foul smell permanently.
Simple scientific methods adopted by the Authority has given a new face to the pond in record time. Walkways, boating facility, high jet aeration fountains and greenery around the park have been giving a wonderful experience to the visitors in the heart of the city which is just 100 metres from Hussainsagar Lake.
The Authority has constructed a sewerage treatment plant which can treat 20 million gallons of water a day.
Besides this, the HMDA has been using membrane filtration techniques and also removed nutrients to make it favourable for aquatic life. The HMDA also released fishes in to the pond to clear the algae and to curb mosquito menace.
The pond in Lake View Park was developed in 2008 at a cost of Rs 31.3 crores. During its inception, untreated sewerage water from Balkampet nala was directly released into the pond which resulted in foul smell and mosquito menace.
However, the HMDA officials later realised that scientific measures would help sort out the issue and decided to beautify the pond in three phases.
In the first phase, officials constructed an STP which could treat 20 MLD of sewerage water flowing into the pond. In the later stages, through membrane filtration system, officials removed nitrate and phosphate. Though water in the pond is non-potable, it can be now used for watering landscapes and other plants in the park.
“The treated water is being sent through three baby ponds for further filtration and it is sent in to the pond in Lake View Park, through a feeder channel, which is situated beneath the Khairatabad flyover,” Chief Engineer B.L.N. Reddy said.
‘The footfall during weekends have increased compared to the past. The park located in the heart of the city has every facility, including walkways, boating, high jet aeration fountains with greenery around,” he explained.
However, sources within the HMDA said that same techniques will be applicable to highly contaminated Hussainsagar lake. They said that even though water quality has been improving recently, it would get contaminated again once the untreated, industrial effluents flow into the lake.
The government has neither constructed any STPs nor stopped industrial and untreated water from flowing into the lake.
The condition of lake would not improve by spending thousands of crores but by following simple scientific methods.
