Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, the two lakes that have quenched the city’s thirst for decades, are set to lose their status as drinking water reservoirs for Hyderabad. The move to de-notify the two lakes as the city’s drinking water sources, it is reliably learnt, is to facilitate scrapping provisions of government order (GO) 111 that prevents commercial activity or large scale constructions in 10-km radius of the two lakes.
Information trickling out of the government, indicates the two lakes need to make way for real-estate development and provide for recreation in the wake of intense pressure from public representatives and realtors. Over the past decade, price of land around the lakes has skyrocketed with villas being developed within 10 km radius being sold for anywhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 3.5 crore. A committee set up as part of another GO 839, is studying implications of scrapping the government order (GO), particularly with a case pen ding before National Green Tribunal, seeking continuance and implementation of GO 111. It is expected the committee will soon recommend changing the status of the two lakes from drinking water sources to recreation, commercial and recreational fishing.
Read more: Times of India
