A five-member team from Hyderabad, led by AV Ranganath, the Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA), visited Doddathoguru Lake in Bengaluru on Friday. The visit was part of a two-day trip to learn more about lake conservation methods in Karnataka.
The HYDRA team is studying these methods to help with a lake protection and restoration program in Hyderabad. They were accompanied by Anand Malligavad, also known as the “Lake Man of India” because of his expertise in restoring lakes.
Anand explained how wastewater is naturally cleaned in four to five stages before it enters the main lake. He also showed the team different natural methods used to develop and maintain lakes.
After inspecting the lake, Ranganath praised the work done by local officials and IT companies. He highlighted how the lake development was completed using biological methods, which purified the wastewater. The purified water was reused for a park and walking track built around the lake.
The officials also created a system to store rainwater in the lake and keep the water clean enough to support aquatic life, ensuring low pollution levels. Anand, through his Malligavad Foundation, has already helped restore some lakes in Hyderabad, with more projects in the works.
Ranganath said the Telangana government would soon work with Anand to revive more lakes in Hyderabad. He also visited the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) to learn about flood prevention plans and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) lake restoration efforts.
