Hyderabad: Lakes and ponds restored under the Mission Kakatiya project by the previous BRS government are now under scrutiny. The State Government has received reports of land encroachments in buffer zones around these water bodies. Following the example of demolitions of illegal structures in Hyderabad by HYDRA, the government is planning a special drive to clear encroachments and protect these revived lakes.
Inspired by the actions in Hyderabad, district officials have started surveying the condition of the lakes restored during the previous government. According to official data, over 40,000 neglected lakes and ponds were revived by building bunds and removing silt. These water bodies had been long abandoned in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.
However, officials have observed that the catchment areas of many restored lakes have shrunk. These lakes, which have been essential for drinking water and irrigation for decades, are now under threat from illegal structures. For example, illegal buildings have been found in the buffer zones of Bandhampalli Cheruvu in Peddapalli district, and unauthorized real estate projects have emerged around Ellamma Gundamma water body.
Illegal constructions have also been identified in areas like Manthani, Godavari Khani, Nizamabad Municipal Corporation, Kodad Municipality, Sangareddy, and Mahabubnagar. District collectors are collecting data on the current status of these restored water bodies. The Irrigation and Revenue departments have been tasked with surveying lakes and ponds in both villages and urban areas.
For the past 10 years, lakes in urban areas have been under threat of illegal occupation due to rising land values and the growth of real estate ventures. In some cases, lake boundaries have been altered, reducing buffer zones and Full Tank Levels (FTL) during the restoration under Mission Kakatiya. Officials warn that the government takes these violations seriously, as they go against regulations meant to preserve lakes in both rural and urban areas.
The recent submergence of habitations during heavy rains is believed to be a result of such encroachments. The government is preparing an action plan to restore the lakes by clearing illegal structures from buffer zones after receiving complete reports from the districts.
