Govt will not succumb to pressure in lake protection drive: CM Revanth

Hyderabad Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday vowed to remove encroachments on lakes and ponds in and around Hyderabad and made it clear that the government will not succumb to pressure.

He said the government was determined to protect water bodies as they are vital to meet the water requirements of people. The Chief Minister’s warning to encroachers came a day after the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Authority (HYDRA) demolished a convention centre belonging to popular actor Nagarjuna in the Madhapur area.

The N-Convention Centre was allegedly built on Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone land of Thammidikunta Lake.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of Hare Krishna Heritage Tower, Revanth Reddy stated that Nizam developed Hyderabad as a lake city hundreds of years ago. He voiced concern that farmhouses have been built for luxuries in the vicinity of lakes and ponds which quenched the thirst of crores of people. The Chief Minister said wastewater from farmhouses is being discharged into Gandipet (Osman Sagar) and Himayat Sagar reservoirs, which provide drinking water to the city. He observed that protecting water bodies and the city is the responsibility of everyone and more so the elected public representatives.

“This is the reason our government started protecting the lakes from encroachments through HYDRAA,” he said. The Chief Minister also remarked that inspired by Lord Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra battle, his government would fight against the encroachment of lakes. He made it clear that this is not a political campaign.