Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Plan to collect drainage cess from colonies around lakes

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Aug. 11. The State Government proposes to collect drainage cess from residential colonies around the lakes after the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) completes treatment work of five water bodies -- Patel Cheruvu, Pedda Cheruvu, Nalla Cheruvu, Durgam Cheruvu and Miralam Tank -- which is in progress.

This was revealed here on Monday at the one-day stakeholders workshop on urban lakes organised by HUDA. The authority proposes to develop eco-tourism around the five lakes and sell the treated water for industrial purpose. The revenue accruing from the cess and sale of water is to be utilised for lake maintenance.

Lakshmi Parthasarathy, HUDA Vice-chairperson and MD, who inaugurated the workshop, stated that the authority had initiated a programme to conserve, develop and treat 87 lakes in and around Hyderabad with active stakeholders' participation by the end of 2006.

Lake conservation was taken up with the Netherlands assistance under the Green Hyderabad Environment Programme. Already 28 lakes were treated and conserved, including Saroornagar, Safilguda and Langer Houz.

She sought cooperation of different Government departments/agencies/NGOs/stakeholders in HUDA tiding over problems in treatment of lakes -- legal cases filed by alleged land-grabbers, rehabilitation of people, constitution of `sarasu (lake) samrakshna samitis' and demarcation of the role of civic bodies/Government agencies and residents.

Ms. Lakshmi Parthasarathy said the authority was facing problems following the release of industrial effluents from Katedan and domestic sewage from nearby villages into the Miralam Tank, the cost of beautification of which was Rs.10 crores.

K. Bhoopal Reddy, Executive Director, Urban Forestry, HUDA, in his presentation on integrated lake treatment, stated that the project aimed at overall improvement of environment around lakes, besides checking pollution.

Earlier, Hans Leenen, Netherlands lake management expert, welcomed the gathering. Henk Gijselhart, leader, Netherlands technical assistance team, spoke.

The workshop proposed preventive measures, including a legislation to ban structures within the periphery of lakes so as to check encroachments around them. The measures include construction of ring bunds and withdrawal of `shikampatta' land.

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