Hyderabad Lakes & Parks

[sriece19]

Originally Posted by World8115

Thank you for regular updates sriece19

Thank you!

[sriece19]

Zoo gets new inmates

The Nehru Zoological Park was in high spirits as it got new inmates. After quite a long time, a hippopotamus and a rhino gave birth to offspring. They are healthy and soon will greet the visitors from their enclosures. All the newborns are in good condition and will be exhibited in a few days, said the zoo officials. The zoo had a setback, when some rare species died under some unexpected circumstances. But recent developments have made the authorities elated and it is a really a good news to the animal lovers.

Zoo authorities got two rhinos Saraswati and Suraj from Patna Zoo, under the animal exchange programme. Saraswati gave birth recently. Authorities named it “Sai Vijay”. Mother and child are in good condition and are kept in a separate enclosure, away from visitors.
On the other hand, a hippopotamus also gave birth to a cub, and both are healthy. Zoo authorities are busy selecting suitable name for this baby.

Apart from these, hog deer also gave birth to four cubs. Lions and tigers also gave birth to their cubs. But authorities are not disclosing the details about them. They have procured various kinds of rare species like cheetahs, giraffes, black-swan, spoon bill etc which are becoming the main attraction of the Park.

“Tthe conservative breeding we started two years ago is doing really well. The breeding activity is at a good pace here. We are next to Gujarat in the breeding of Asiatic lions” says Mallikarjuna Rao, Director of the Zoo.

[sriece19]

2 bridges proposed near Saroornagar lake

HYDERABAD: GHMC commissioner M T Krishna Babu on Thursday directed the chief engineer of the municipal body to prepare proposals for junction improvement and road widening near Saroornagar lake as well as for building two bridges near the Saroornagar lake.

Of the two bridges, one is proposed to come up near Shiva Ganga theatre and the other near Indira Priyadarshini Park. The commissioner along with L B Nagar MLA D Sudhir Reddy inspected Saroornagar lake and observed that the entrance as well as exit of the lake road was narrow. They asked the chief engineer to appoint consultants and take up the works on a priority basis.tnn

Meanwhile, local representatives requested the commissioner to make all necessary arrangements for Ganesh immersion upon conclusion of the upcoming festival.

[sriece19]

Properties that kill lakes, hills

‘Lake view apartments’, ‘hill view locality’ and ‘clean ambience’ are some of the common taglines that real estate developers and promoters use to attract home buyers. Of course, it does get paid off, and that to at a premium, as residences in such locales are grabbed up even before the foundation is laid.

Ironically, the developers and promoters, in their zeal to sell more and more properties in such areas, end up destroying the very environment which was their USP. The home seekers then start looking for other similar locales being developed only to find similar destruction of environment again.

The best example is the posh Sainikpuri locality in Secunderabad. Here, one can see how a lake is being usurped by property developers. The area surrounding the lake named Kapra is being developed for people seeking residences with a view of the lake.

The early birds among buyers of property in this area did have a scenic view of the lake, but that thrill was short-lived. Today, their windows open to a view of neighbouring houses. In such a situations, it is only natural to close the windows to avoid uncomfortable scenes. If the new lot of home buyers had purchased the property to enjoy sunset view from the beautiful lake, even their tryst with Nature will end. New apartments have sprung.

It is the lake as well as the flora and fauna that bear the brunt of such competitive ‘development’. Even in the lake bed boundary walls of housing societies have come up, suggesting their involvement in the destruction of a serene environment. The areas ‘developed’ in such fashion include Eshwarpuri Colony, BR Nagar, Madhavpuri Colony, Subhash Chandra Bose colony, Tulasi Gardens and SS Enclave.

Some of the houses that directly face the lake (purchased at a premium) do have an upper hand today, as no more property coming up is coming up between the lake and houses. The owners of the houses might think that they have outsmarted their neighbours in obstructing their view to the lake and the property developers who can no further construct houses in middle of the lake.

However, just as several small lakes have vanished from the city map, here also unscrupulous property developers and encroachers have successfully blocked all the channels running into the lake. The result is that the outflow channel has become deeper. On the one hand, the construction has reached up to the middle of the lake, while on the other hand the lake is being levelled with stones and sand, apparently for being developed and marketed as yet another upcoming locality in a serene environment, of course with enchanting slogans like ‘Own a house with a view of the lake’. In no time, the lake will die, with the existing water drying up. The lake bed, or whatever remains of it, is already getting readied for withstanding concrete houses.

Like the fauna which once had its habitat in lake and which took flight elsewhere, the property developers too will swarm newer areas, hunt for fresh prospects, and set up shop to finish the environment.
They are merchants of doom who prey on the dreams of home buyers looking for scenic localities with peace and tranquility.

It appears that the vicious development of lake view and hill view properties will stop only if the entire property that has come up on such areas is destroyed completely. But, that is easier said than done.The best examples one can give are Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Mahendra Hills that were famous for beautiful terrain, landscape and the Durgam Cheruvu which offered a beautiful lakefront view. Now, these areas are posh localities, where film stars and other elite live and swanky malls have come up.

Now the property developers have trained their guns on greener pastures like Manikonda, Gachibowli, Shamirpet lake and many less known areas with beautiful lakes and hills. The only way this can be stopped is by enhancing awareness among buyers that destroying lakes and hills will never give them peace at their homes. Instead, they should buy properties that could be amalgamated with the environment. And, if one can plant trees in proportion to the land lost to the concretisation, only then one can move a step towards achieving solace.

[sriece19]

Zoo ethics to be taught to visitors

HYDERABAD: In a bid to prevent people from feeding and disturbing animals, the Nehru Zoological Park authorities are planning to educate visitors on zoo etiquette. Construction of an orientation centre is underway where visitors will be made aware of the rules to be followed on the premises through an audio-visual presentation.

Controlling people from bothering animals has become increasingly difficult for the zoo staff. Though strictly prohibited, some visitors often sneak in plastic covers and litter the place and also feed chips and popcorn to the animals. The orientation centre is expected to make people more sensitive about animal welfare.

The centre, to come up in a month's time, would be housed in a small building near the entrance. "Videos to educate the public about zoo ethics will be played on a loop on the screens. The screen will also show visitors what to expect at the zoo. About 80 people can be accommodated in the building for every session," said curator M A Waheed. So far the zoo authorities have put up appeals only on boards and on the tickets.

The officials are also planning to reduce the carbon footprint in the zoo. Two battery vehicles were launched and the entry fee for cars was raised from Rs 500 to Rs 750 in December last year. After noticing a reduction of 20% drop in the use of cars after the entry fee was hiked, officials are planning to introduce eight more battery operated cars. Each of these cars can carry at least 11 people. The fare for a 45-minute zoo trip in these cars is Rs 40 for an adult and Rs 20 for children up to 12 years. Officials also hinted that the car entry fee may be further increased to deter their use on the 360 acre campus.

[sriece19]

Nala joining Erla and Gangaram Pedda lakes encroached

GHMC stops construction, but apartment projects remain

Since the nala has shrunk, the apartments and houses nearby were submerged by excess water during the recent rains


Lakes after lakes in the city have disappeared in the past few decades. Once called the ‘City of lakes’, Hyderabad is fast losing most of its water bodies; yet, nobody is bothered. The latest twist to the continuing tale of lake encroachment is the occupation of the storm water drain (nala) that connects the Erla Cheruvu and the Gangaram Pedda Cheruvu at Madinaguda.

The nala, which carries excess water, has been encroached by many private players. This has shrunk the width of the nala, originally measuring 15-20 feet, to hardly four feet now. The nala is crucial, as it takes excess water from the smaller water body to the larger one.

Some structures have already come up along the nala and the people living in them had to pay for the designs of encroachers.
Since the nala has shrunk, the apartments and houses nearby were submerged by excess water during the recent rains. “Families staying on ground and first floors had to vacate their house in the night,” said a social activist.

Should the entire nala area be encroached, rain will create havoc all around, say social activists. A private builder has dumped mud in the nala very near the Erla Cheruvu. This is blocking the flow of water. The people who have been dumping debris want the flow of nala to turn in another direction. But the area is surrounded by residential apartments.

“Water will directly enter houses nearby,” warns Rama Krishna of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL). As if the damage done is not enough, another private builder has begun construction on the nala itself. This construction, near Kallam Anjireddy Vidhyalaya, has further constricted the width of the nala.

The SOUL has officially registered a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Circle 12, GHMC, Seringampally; the Collector, RR; MRO and the Zonal Commissioner, West Zone, GHMC, Serlingampally.
The Deputy Commissioner, GHMC, ordered the private builder to stop construction work on the nala.

“This project is big, consisting of hundreds if apartments. We wanted the government to stop the project itself. Instead, the Deputy Commissioner gave orders to stop construction on the nala only. It will not be useful,” said Rama Krishna. Google map shows the nala. But if prompt action is not taken, the nala will soon vanish, with just its images remaining in records.

[sriece19]

Changing times: Id get-together in parks, halls

A joyous atmosphere prevailed in most of the recreational places across the city with families moving out for a ‘tafree’(picnic). After observing fast for a month, the ‘Id’ extended an opportunity for families to hold get-togethers.

Large families

The age-old picnic spot, Nehru Zoological Park, was brimming with people. Many families preferred to meet here instead of heading to houses of relatives. “Our family is very large with six brothers and three sisters, so instead of going to everyone’s house, we assemble at the zoological park and have lunch,” says a visitor from old city. The mouth-watering Ramzan delicacy ‘sheer-khurma’, was an integral part of parcels carried by people here.

Crowds were also present in good numbers at the Golconda fort and Qutb Shahi tombs. Apart from families, groups of children too took an opportunity to visit the premises and indulge in games, after all the ‘idi’ (money gift) they had got. A few families held ‘Id get-togethers’ by hiring function halls or at farm houses on city outskirts.

“This is a good alternative to going around and meeting people, now all the family members come to one place and exchange Id greetings,” says Sohail Hassani, who attended one such event at a function hall at Malakpet.

Necklace Road and other popular parks around the stretch too witnessed a lot of rush with many families visiting these recreational facilities.

Movie buffs lined up at the theatres across the city. Most of the theatres in old city put up house-full boards within minutes of opening their ticket counters.

In fact, people waited to get movie tickets for subsequent shows in a few theatres in old city. It was no different scene in theatres at Kachiguda and Abids.

[Gudavalli]

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority directed to maintain Hitex lake

HYDERABAD: Hitex lake will now be taken care of by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). The lake located inside Hitex, along the road leading to Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), that will host COP 11, is not being maintained properly and sewage is flowing into it. Senior state officials visited the site on Monday and directed HMDA to take up its maintenance and beautification.

The hotel was responsible for maintaining the lake but since it failed to do so, officials said the state government has entrusted the HMDA with the maintenance work. The Times of India had highlighted the lake's poor condition in its columns on August 23.

On Monday, senior officials from different departments, including the municipal corporation, the urban development authority and the city police wings visited HICC and Novotel and inspected the area in and around the premises.

Chief secretary Minnie Mathew directed all the departments to work in coordination and speed up the preparation as the event is fast approaching.

Stating that hosting the event is a prestigious matter for the government, officials said Rs 450 crore is being spent by the state to carry out the necessary preparation and Rs 100 crore on the museum and biodiversity park coming up at Gachibowli.

Despite heavy rain, GHMC and other departments have taken up the works on war-footing basis and it will be completed by the end of this month, assured M Samuel, special chief secretary, government of Andhra Pradesh.

[Gudavalli]

Erla Cheruvu encroached

More than 50 per cent of the water bodies under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits have been encroached upon by many, mainly local builders and real estate companies. One such lake, facing encroachment is the Erla Cheruvu in Madinaguda.
"The lake, which was originally 15 ft wide, has now been reduced to a mere four ft,” explained Panasa Rama Krishna of Saving Our Urban Lakes (SOUL), an NGO.
The encroachment of the nala happened at two places in Madinaguda, one near the Erla Cheruvu sluice and the other at Kallam Anjireddy Vidyalaya (Dr Reddy’s Foundation). A private company by the name Swathi Constructions (SVS Infracon Pvt Ltd) is allegedly constructing an apartment on the nala in violation of the rules.
According to the AP Land Encroachment Act, 1905 there should be no construction nearby water bodies. “People who are buying flats in the upcoming apartment have no idea that it will be flooded whenever it rains. So, the building is deceiving them as well besides violating rules,” said Ramakrishna.
The NGO detected the encroachment in the first week of July and filed complaints with GHMC commissioner and executive engineer of the Irrigation Department on July 24. “It’s been a month, still no action has been taken. The complaint was given when the builder had just started laying the ground floor. Now, he is constructing the third floor,” alleged Ramakrishna who also accused the civic body of blindly giving permits for the construction company, without inspecting the place. “The permit number for the apartment is 12082/HO/WZ/Cir-12/2012 for Swathi Constructions in the survey number 81,82,84,85,” revealed Ramakrishna. “We have also met the zonal commissioner, West Zone, GHMC, deputy commissioner and the GHMC chief city planner. But, no action has been taken yet,” he added.
When contacted, GV Raghu, chief city planner, GHMC, clarified, “no permission has been granted for construction at the site, yet. I have received a complaint, post which I have instructed my subordinates to issue a show-cause notice to the company. We will take immediate action and give orders for demolishing the building. After further inspection, if there are any more violations, we will also collect penalty from them.”

[sriece19]

Protection of lakes: HC seeks govt response

A division bench of acting CJ P C Ghose and Justice Vilas V Afzalpurkar on Monday directed the government to file an affidavit explaining the measures being taken to protect the lakes and tanks in the state. The bench was hearing a petition filed by KL Vyas, K Purushottam and Dr Kodadkar of Osmania University, who wanted the intervention of the court as the state was found wanting in its endeavours in this regard. The government counsel told the court that the government was doing its best to protect the lakes and tanks. K Ashok Reddy, the counsel for petitioners, objected to this and charged the authorities with playing havoc with water bodies by abandoning their responsibilities. "They will first encourage encroachments and later abandoned water bodies only to help the encroachers," he said. The bench wanted the state to file an affidavit.

[sriece19]

Constructions around Hussainsagar deplored

Environmental groups on Sunday alleged that unauthorised construction works were being taken up around Hussainsagar lake by government departments, including the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and demanded them to be stopped immediately.

Speaking to presspersons here, Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) founder convenor, Jasveen Jairath charged the GHMC with constructing an auto garage at the Sanjivaiah Park end, besides dumping mud in the lake towards Minister Road side for construction of an ecological park.

In addition to this, authorities were permitting Paradise Food Court, a private company outlet next to IMAX complex, in the full tank level limit of lake, she said.

All these works were being taken up in violation of High Court orders that prohibit constructions and commercial activities in and around the lake, she alleged. P. Ramakrishna, co-convenor of SOUL, said though the GHMC authorities maintained that encroachments were cleared and land levelled, pillars were being laid for a garage.

Member of the Forum for Better Hyderabad, O.M. Debara alleged that the GHMC authorities failed to produce work orders or approval of the Lake Protection Committee for constructing the garage.

[Gudavalli]

Hyderabad: HC seeks suggestions on Hussainsagar lake protection

Hyderabad: The High Court on Monday sought suggestions from the advocates and their clients concerned on protecting Hussainsagar lake from pollution caused by immersion of idols in the lake. A division bench comprising acting chief justice PC Ghose and justice Vilas V Afzulpurkar was dealing with a batch of petitions seeking ban on immersion of idols in water bodies and steps to protect the environment.
Mamidi Venu Madhav, an advocate and one of the petitioners, urged the court to grant an interim direction on immersion of Ganesh idols in the lake in view of the festival occurring this month. He said he had attended a meeting convened by the chief secretary with the officials and others concerned on the direction of the AP State Human Rights Commission on immersion, and the chief secretary said they were only executives of the government and banning immersion was a policy decision which could be taken only by the cabinet.
Reacting to the submission, justice Ghose said officer could initiate action to solve the issue which was purely environmental. He suggested constitution of a committee consisting of representative of the High Court Bar Association, senior counsels, amicus curie, the petitioners and secretaries of departments concerned to examine immersion of idols in the lake.

[sriece19]

Steps to restore ‘Hamid Khan Kunta’ sought

Environmental activists decried the apathy of administration towards protection of water bodies in the city and demanded immediate steps for restoration of ‘Hamid Khan Kunta’ also known as the Taj Banjara Lake.

Plea to GHMC, Water Board

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Jasveen Jairath of Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) demanded that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) initiate action to save the lake.

The GHMC should remove all the debris and extract the concrete flooring laid by a contractor here and the HMWSSB should remove debris along the Interception and Diversion (I&D) structure. A road in the middle of the lake should also be removed, she said.

These steps need to be taken up in a time-bound manner in concurrence with a civil society member and a compliance report should be submitted.

Annie Hassan of Citizens Welfare Association said the Water Board should ensure functioning of the structure set up here, to ensure 100 per cent discharge of the sewerage into the pipes laid at a huge cost. All the mounds of debris dumped along the outer side of the lake should also be carted away

[sriece19]

Banjara Lake becoming a cesspool, up for grabs

[sriece19]

Hyderabad lost considerable green cover in the name of development

The city of Hyderabad has lost considerable green cover in the name of development over the last few years. And CoP-11 could have actually worked for the city had the government planned in advance how it would effectively use the beautification money. An amount of Rs 10 crore is princely for restoring much of the lost greenery. It is still not too late. The government can still plan long-term instead of taking up haphazard greening exercises. It should spend the money judiciously and plant indigenous species of trees and even showcase their attempt at conserving local species to the visiting delegates of CoP-11.

[Gudavalli]

Use clay Ganesha for Hussain Sagars sake!

Immersion of Ganesh Idols has long been a source of pollution for Hussain Sagar lake, the pride of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Of late, it is being claimed that the content of harmful chemicals getting into the lake during the Ganesh idol immersion has come down due to increased awareness among the people, who now prefer idols made of clay and painted with natural dyes than those with acrylic colours.
However, such idols are limited to households and isolated localities.
A majority of idols installed on pandals at different locations are still made of plaster of Paris and apply acrylic colours or those with harmful chemicals.
“We cannot say how many idols are made of plaster of Paris, but we are sure a majority of them are made of that material,” Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi general secretary Dr Bhagavant Rao said.
When compared to 1,500 Ganesh idols in 1980, the number has increased to around 50,000 in the last few years. On an average, 35,000 idols are immersed in the lake while other idols are immersed at different lakes in and around the city.
This has become possible due to efforts of NGOs and officials to decentralise the idol immersion.
Idols in acrylic colours are a major concern to the officials, as they contain harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium and chromium which are carcinogenic.
Plaster of Paris is calcium sulfate hemihydrate, a plaster derived from heating gypsum, which takes several months to dissolve, unlike clay which dissolves in hours.
With increasing apartment culture and growing competition among pandal organisers, bigger and more colourful idols are being installed without giving any thought to the material or chemicals used.
Decorations using fibre and thermocol add to the pollution content.
Ganesh Deeksha’s G Hanumantha Rao, the person behind the famous Khairatabad Ganesh idol, said that the state government is to be blamed for the increase in idols made of plaster of Paris.
In 2001, the government had given an order mandating use of plaster of Paris for idols instead of clay.
Now, with sustained campaigns on various fronts urging people not to use chemical colours but natural dyes, the usage of the harmful chemicals has reportedly come down as the annual studies indicate, Andhra Pradesh State Pollut ion Cont rol Boar d (APSPCB) officials said.
Decrease in oxygen levels in the lake due to dumping of organic matter such as flowers and other puja materials is another concern.
According to APSPCB sources, the levels of oxygen are as low as 2 mgl (milli gram per litre) against the required 4 mgl. However, several efforts are being made by the board to increase the oxygen levels required for the survival of the aquatic life in the lake.
Ganesh idols immersion is but a temporary phenomena affecting the lake, which was once a drinking water sources for the twin cites of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The day after immersion, GHMC and HMDA remove the maximum content deposited in the lake, which lessens the impact of the pollution.
However, sewage and industrial effluents from various industries located in the city are another major cause of lake pollution.
An unofficial estimate said that 200 million litres per day (mld) of sewage and e f f luent s ar e be ing dumped.
Though there is a sewage treatment plan located near the lake and another three are in pipeline, a complete cleansing of the lake is what is needed, experts opine and it can only be achieved when the sewage going into Hussain Sagar is completely diverted.
Even then, it will be a time consuming affair with crores of funding required.
Environmentalist say citizens can take the first step to contain lake pollution by using Ganesh idols of limited size made of clay and coloured with natural dyes.
How to Lessen Pollution
* Buy Ganesh idols made of bio-degradable material like papier-mache.
* Encourage natural dyes and environmental-friendly colours.
* Look at the festival as time for devotion, not a matter of prestige * Use stone idols and perform symbolic immersion.
* Don’t immerse the idols at one place * Contemplate ways and means to do away with plaster of Paris

[sriece19]

More attractions at Zoo

The Nehru Zoological Park, is gearing up for many special attractions for visitors. Thanks to the prestigious COP 11,some new guests are likely to arrive at the park. The world’s fastest animal cheetah, a king cobra and zebra are being brought from various countries. Two buffaloes, wolves, black swans from Mysore, mules from Gujarat are also set to arrive. The officials of the zoo are busy making arrangements.

The fastest animal cheetah is coming from the Czech Republic. It can run 120 km per hour. It is a ferocious cat, that can live upto 18 years. It weighs 60-80 kg.The reptile house of the zoo will have a great attraction with the arrival of king cobra. A highly poisionous creeper, it is coming from the Mysore Zoo.The Zebra is coming from Mangalore. It’s a herbivorous animal and can live upto 18 years.
These mules, which live upto 30 years, are coming from Gujarat. They are also herbivorous

These buffaloes are coming from the Mysore Zoo. They live upto 20 years. They live in groups. You can find a white spot on their faces. Transporting the animals is not a simple task. Utmost care should be taken while transferring them from place to place. Acclimatising is required for them. People are specially trained to take care of the transportation. All these new guests are ready to enthrall visitors during the upcoming COP 11.

[sriece19]

No parks or public libraries in Malkajgiri

It’s spread over 85 square km. It even has a municipality and is counted as a ‘preferred’ destination for middle class families in the city.

The erstwhile quaint suburb has witnessed a rapid pace of development, albeit without much planning. A concrete jungle that replaced the lush green agricultural fields in the area has indeed stubbed the possibility of developing parks in the area.

For want of open areas, residents of Malkajgiri are forced to utilise the only available open spaces in the area, the railway platforms for their morning walks. But if you thought that parks are for the elite, there are no public play-grounds nor are there any public libraries here.

“This is a thickly populated area without any breathing space,” P. Shyamala a resident of Malkajgiri rues.

The only park that is available for people here is the Safilguda Lake Park, but that is too far for many to visit it regularly, she points out.

When asked, civic authorities wash their hands off saying that permission for colonies were given earlier and nothing could be done on that issue now.

“Colonies came up in Malkajgiri when it was still outside the purview of GHMC regulations. It is impossible to procure land to create a park here now,” a senior municipal official said on the condition of anonymity.

However, residents opine that the authorities are just trying to shirk their responsibility.

“The main problem is official apathy and lack of imagination on their part. If there is no space left for building parks, how about providing libraries or other such public amenities instead?,” M. Sheshagiri, another resident questions.

People still flock to this area as accommodation is cheaper here and with a little attention from the authorities this area can regain its lost allure, he maintains.

[Gudavalli]

[Gudavalli]