Hyderabad: Safilguda lake to be cleaned up soon

Hyderabad: It is a sigh of relief for the residents living around the Safilguda Lake also known as Mini Tank Bund. For years the colonies around the water body were distressed because of the poor condition of the lake.

"The entire lake is under a sheet of weed which has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. We were worried about our families, now that the GHMC has taken up cleaning works it is a little relief for us," says Rajat, a local. The resident's point out that the hyacinth has taken over the lake completely turning it into an ideal mosquito breeding ground. Several representations were made to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) a couple of months back but as the coronavirus pandemic stuck, no action has been taken so far. "We live right next to the lake and have been seeing the condition of the lake getting worsened. Since the monsoon set in, the rise in mosquito population has become a major issue, and we fear outbreak of vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria," says Aadil Khan, a resident of Krupa Complex.

On the issue of lake cleaning, T Dashrath, Deputy Commissioner, GHMC said, "The cleaning works of the lake has been given to a third party company and they will clean in the next 45 days and also will maintain the lake for the next three years." The corporation would be spending around Rs 47 lakh for the cleaning and maintenance of the lake for the next three years.

Further, work for the separation of the drain lines would be soon announced, he informed.

"Only cleaning the hyacinth will not stop the mosquito, for that desilting also needs to be done on a priority basis, the corporation should take up as soon as possible," said Narayan Reddy, a resident.