Hyderabad: The historic Katora Houz at Golconda Fort is poised for restoration with the GHMC clearing the proposal and allotting the restoration work to contractors.
Though Katora Houz was intermittently cleaned, this is the first time that full-fledged restoration will be undertaken. The last clean-up was done in November 2017 when Ms Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the President of the US had come to the city for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
Heritage expert Dr Mohd Safiullah said, “Decades back, the lake supplied drinking water to the people in Golconda Fort and nearby areas, It is the same lake that served the needs of the populace when the Golconda Fort was under siege by Aurangzeb in 1687.”
The lake is now covered by water hyacinth. Katora Houz is polluted all sewage from the nearby houses being flushed into the lake.
Golconda resident Mohd Shafeequddin said said, “The mosquito menace is increasing. The GHMC has carried out fogging operations several times but there is no relief. To add to that is the stench that comes out of the lake, which is really unbearable.”
Ms Anuradha Reddy, convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said, “Katora Houz used to get water from Durgam Cheruvu through gravitational flow. The lake served as a strong protection for the fort, making it difficult for the enemies to conquer it. But now sewage from nearby residential areas is entering the lake, making the situation pathetic.”
A senior GHMC official said, “The proposal has been sanctioned by the commissioner and tenders have been called for the restoration of the lake. We are hoping that work will start soon at the Katora Houz.”
