Hyderabad: In the early hours of Tuesday, the manholes in Kondandaramnagar, right behind the Sharada Theatre, beside the Saroornagar Lake, burst open at 1 am, spilling toxic froth all across the roads.
The manholes are connected to the stormwater drains that carry excess water from the lake to the Musi river, and clearly signals the toxic pollution in the lake. The build-up of the toxic foam lasted till 8 am and the stagnant water forced people to remain inside their homes.
“The foam built up to a height of six feet, engulfing all the vehicles parked outside. We were locked in and could not go out,” recounts Yadav Reddy, a resident of the area.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s sanitation wing was quickly deployed to suppress the toxic foam formation.
Saroornagar 7th lake to froth
“We had to bring in four tankers of water and spray the water across the foam. Even when it subsided, the excess water from the stormwater drains gushed out like a fountain, breaking open the manholes,” said Sanju Kumar, a sanitation official.
Workers had to place heavy sand bags on the manhole lid to keep it in place and control the fountaining pressure. The storm water drains in the area are 1.8 metres in diameter, but the overflow forced the water out.
The excess water-weir at the Saroornagar lake looked like a mound of snow. The foam that had intruded into the colonies was cleared by 10 am, but the foaming at the weir lasted until late evening. “All the colonies upstream discharge their sewage right into the lake. Moreover, during the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, when over 6,000 idols were immersed here, the lake saw a high amount of pollution,” said Bhavani Praveen Kumar, one of the residents. This is the seventh lake in the city where toxic froth has formed. It happened at Bon Cheruvu in Hasmathpet near Bowenpally with the foam from the lake flying into nearby houses. “This is a daily affair. Why can’t the authorities clean the lakes or put a grill to stop people from throwing waste?” asked A.N. Rao, a resident.
