Hyderabad: The lakes and ponds that were revived under the Mission Kakatiya program during the previous BRS government are now facing scrutiny. The State Government has received reports about land encroachments in the buffer zones of these restored water bodies in various districts. Following the example set by HYDRA’s demolition of illegal structures in the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zones around lakes in Greater Hyderabad, there are plans for a special drive to remove such encroachments from the revived lakes.
Inspired by the recent demolitions of illegal structures around lakes in the state capital, district authorities have begun surveying the condition of the water bodies revived under the previous government. According to official data, over 40,000 abandoned lakes and ponds were restored by building bunds and removing silt from these neglected water bodies in the former Andhra Pradesh region.
Officials have noted that the catchment areas of many of these revived lakes and ponds shrank during the restoration process. These water bodies have been crucial sources of drinking water and irrigation for many decades. However, district authorities have discovered illegal structures in the buffer zones of several lakes, such as the Bandhampalli cheruvu in Peddapalli district. Additionally, illegal real estate developments have emerged around the Ellamma Gundamma water body.
Similar illegal encroachments have been identified in other areas, including Manthani, Godavari Khani, Nizamabad Municipal Corporation, Kodad Municipality, Sangareddy, and Mahabubnagar. District collectors are now compiling detailed data on the current status of these revived water bodies. The Irrigation and Revenue departments have been tasked with conducting surveys of lakes and ponds in both rural and urban areas.
The problem is particularly severe in urban areas, where many lakes have been under threat of illegal occupation for over 10 years due to rising land values and the rapid growth of real estate ventures. In some cases, the boundaries of the lakes were altered, and the buffer zones and FTL were reduced during the restoration process under Mission Kakatiya.
Officials emphasized that the government is taking these issues seriously, as altering the lake boundaries and encroaching on them violates regulations meant to preserve these vital water bodies. The recent flooding of residential areas during heavy rains is partly due to the encroachment of lakes in many urban zones. The government plans to take action and remove illegal structures from the buffer zones of these lakes after receiving full reports from the districts.
