Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropoli-tan Development Authority (HMDA) has begun removing water hyacinth in four lakes Chandan Cheruvu, Jillelaguda, Saroornagar and Rampally. The Keesara lake will also be cleaned later on.
The HMDA has procured two trash collectors for Rs 1.5 crore each to remove the water hyacinth, which used to be removed manually.
Says Arvind Kumar, principal secretary, municipal administration and urban development department: “Floating trash collectors have been used in cleaning Hussain Sagar Lake. The trash collectors, and dredging utility craft machines and long boom amphibious excavators have helped remove the floating material, garbage, and clay materials from the lake.”
While the floating trash collectors will be deployed from time to time to keep the lakes clean, what really needs to be done is to stop the sewage from entering the lakes in the first place. For this, sewage treatment plants are needed, said a senior irrigation official.
“We need to have sewage treatment plants so that treated water can be let out in the lakes. This will help to maintain the water level and also do away with the health hazards. The foul smell is worse at night and affects residents who live close by,” the official said.
Senior government officials say that the government has planned 100 sewage treatment plants and that the verification and assessment process is being carried out. But just for the proposals to be cleared will take more than two years! So till then, it’s up to the trash collectors to keep the water as clean as possible.
