Hydraa flags Durgam Cheruvu stench
HYDERABAD: Hydraa has taken note of the stench emanating from Durgam Cheruvu in the Madhapur hills after reports and complaints flagged the spread of water hyacinth and direct discharge of sewage into the lake.
Hydraa Commissioner A V Ranganath inspected the lake on Tuesday and reviewed factors behind hyacinth spreading across nearly half the waterbody. He expressed anger over untreated sewage entering the lake through the stormwater drain despite the presence of sewage treatment plants (STPs).
Irrigation engineers told the commissioner that excess inflows were being diverted towards the lake as STPs were operating beyond capacity. Rejecting the explanation, Ranganath said sewage exceeding STP capacity must be diverted to sewer lines and not released directly into the lake. He questioned how treated water was being released at one end while raw sewage was allowed to flow in at another.
Ranganath also questioned representatives of the Raheja group, which is executing development works at Durgam Cheruvu, on steps taken to prevent sewage inflows and control hyacinth growth. He said the stench was the result of poor coordination and lack of accountability among the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the irrigation department, Raheja Mindspace and Ramky, which operates the STPs.
The commissioner said surrounding sewage must be routed into STP lines and expressed dissatisfaction over delays. He directed officials to collect water samples after treatment at STPs and send them to the Pollution Control Board for testing.
After the field inspection, Ranganath held a meeting at the Hydraa office with all agencies responsible for lake protection. He addressed hurdles cited by the water board in carrying out pipeline diversion works to prevent sewage from entering the stormwater drain and spoke to Cyberabad Police Commissioner M Ramesh seeking support for traffic diversions.
He also spoke to officials from the irrigation, electricity, GHMC and water board departments, instructing them to immediately take up works to stop sewage inflows into the lake. Representatives of Raheja were asked to excavate a canal along the western side of the lake to prevent sewage from IT establishments in the upper catchment, including Inorbit Mall and Nectar Gardens, from entering Durgam Cheruvu.
