Ibrahimbagh lake bund turns dumpyard as GHMC jurisdiction dispute stalls cleanup
HYDERABAD: The bund of Ibrahimbagh lake has turned into a sprawling dumping ground, choked with solid waste. This growing environmental crisis persists even as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) rolls out its city-wide Mega Sanitation Drive, casting a harsh spotlight on lapses in accountability and administrative vigilance in Neknampur Ward-128.
The core of the issue, as revealed by local activists and residents, is a blatant disregard for a final government notification. The Telangana final delimitation map reportedly places Ibrahimbagh lake under the jurisdiction of Neknampur Ward-128. Authorities, however, continue to cite outdated boundaries and false jurisdiction claims, creating a smokescreen to avoid cleaning responsibilities.
“The Gazette notification is final, past ambiguity holds no ground. Yet, the Sanitation Wing is deliberately misleading higher officers by claiming the lake falls under the Golconda Zone to escape duty,” said Shaik Arif Mohammed, General Secretary of The Citizens Council, who has been tirelessly flagging the issue. “This deliberate misrepresentation is causing unacceptable delays. Accountability must be fixed immediately.”
GHMC jurisdiction dispute
“The entire lake bund is not under their jurisdiction now, they’ve been saying this for a long time,” explained Shaik Arif Mohammed. “They only act when we apply public pressure online. They don’t want to own it, that’s all.” Arif shared geotagged videos and the official zonal maps, which clearly demarcate the lake’s northern part in Kaffsandra, Neknampur, under Ward-128.
Even as waste piles up unchecked, a hefty Rs 23 crore was recently sanctioned to GHMC under the AMRUT scheme. This stark gap between sanctioned funds and the on-ground neglect, as Shaik Arif Mohammed points out, exposes a troubling picture of administrative inertia.
But residents are done with empty assurances. They demand strict enforcement of gazette-notified boundaries, a halt to the endless jurisdictional blame game, and swift, tangible action to restore the lake’s environment.
