Hyderabad: Up to 53 lakes out of a total of 185 have been damaged or in a vulnerable condition due to the incessant rains. Irrigation officials monitoring the city’s lakes said all the tanks were filled with huge inflows after the city received a record 12 inches of rain this week, Irrigation Secretary of State Rajat Kumar said.
The threat of rupture of some or all bodies of water is not ruled out if the city receives more rainfall. The Moosapet, Mansoorabad and Bandlaguda tanks on the edge of Hyderabad were on the brink of rupture. The necessary measures were being taken to avoid the rupture of the water bodies. In addition, 15 special teams were set up to ensure the safety of the tanks and lakes, Kumar said.
However, officials prioritized the restoration of 53 extremely damaged lakes, which would be restored with immediate effect. The state government had earmarked 10 million rupees for the temporary restoration of tanks. Officials said the department sought other funds of Rs 40 million to carry out permanent repairs.
Restoration and repair work would resume after evacuating residents in low-lying areas. In the long term, the 185 lakes, which have already reached full tank level, will be repaired and restored at an estimated cost of Rs 10 million. Repairs are underway to all breached water bodies, Rajat Kumar said.
Kumar said the department was not currently focusing on the lake invasions as most of them at FTL had completed their mutation process according to official records. He said that actions against the invaders will be initiated once the emergency situation ends.
Commenting on incidents of lake ruptures, the irrigation secretary claimed that the Appa Cheruvu rupture was not a human error, he claimed. He admitted that three people lost their lives near Palle Cheruvu. People were not allowed to visit tanks and lakes until water levels dropped, he said.
Meanwhile, after efforts of more than 48 hours, the irrigation department finally found floodgates in Fox Sagar Lake in Jeedimetla. They were opened and water was released after the evacuation of people in low areas.
The twin reservoirs below Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar were at the full reservoir level. Officials from Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board have released 1,372 water cusecs from Himayat Sagar by lifting doors. Entries at Osman Sagar were also reduced to 800 cusecs.
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