Hussain Sagar clean up integral to Musi rejuvenation: Forum for Good Governance
Tracing through the failed projects towards cleaning of the lake, the letter said, 'Any attempt to clean the Musi river without cleaning up Hussain Sagar will not give the desired results'. The letter noted that Buddha Purnima, a project with an estimated cost of ₹20 crore involved the removal of floating material such as water hyacinth and plastic waste which was also abandoned without much success. Another estimate of ₹500 crore was prepared for dredging the sediment from the lake bed, but the project did not take off as there was no plan on how to dispose of the toxic sediment.
Built originally as a drinking water source, the lake has been neglected over the years, and became polluted with the entry of untreated sewerage and industrial effluents through drains such as Banjara nala, Picket nala, Balkapur nala and Kukatpally nala. The first three nalas carry sewage while the Kukatpally nala carries toxic chemical effluents from the Balanagar industrial area before it drains into the Hussain Sagar.
The Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project (HCIP) was taken up by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority in 2006 with a loan of ₹310 crore from the Japan International Co-operative Agency (JICA) and state government's grant of ₹60 crore, totalling to ₹370 crore. The envisaged goals were to improve the lake's water quality, maintain water balance round the year, removing nutrient rich sediments from the lake bed, , improving the overall environment of the lake and surroundings for biodiversity enrichment, and increasing the potential of eco-tourism.
The project aimed to be completed by 2013, did not achieve any of the standard objectives though all the allocated funds had been spent. 'Good amount of money was spent for study tours of our officers to Japan and other European countries, and experts from Japan to advise our officials costed a lot,' the letter alleged.
Though Kukatpally nala diversion was taken up with an estimated cost of ₹50 crore, the money was spent without much result. The nala is still flowing into the Hussain Sagar lake.
In the past 20 years, despite spending over ₹500 crore to clean up the Hussain Sagar, corruption, no action and lack of proper planning has affected the project badly.Appreciating the commitment of the Chief Minister to improve and rejuvenate the Musi river, the letter by FGG signed by President M. Padmanabha Reddy said work for the Musi and Hussain Sagar project should start simultaneously for the best results.
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