Hyderabad: 1/3 of Yapral’s Nagireddy Kunta Lake lost to encroachments; flood risk increases
He instructed authorities to remove the soil dumped within the lake bed to restore its storage capacity
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy
File Photo
Hyderabad: Nearly one-third of Nagireddy Kunta lake in Yapral has been lost to encroachments, raising flood risks this monsoon.
HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath, who inspected the lake, directed officials to initiate immediate restoration measures.
6 acres of lake encroached
During the inspection, Commissioner Ranganath found that out of the lake’s total 19 acres, nearly 6 acres have been encroached upon. He instructed authorities to remove the soil dumped within the lake bed to restore its storage capacity.
The Commissioner also observed that stormwater drains carrying overflow from Nagireddy Kunta to Kapra lake have been blocked or diverted at multiple locations due to illegal constructions.
HhjhuDrain routes deviated by Gated Communities
Inspections revealed that gated communities such as Golf Pride Homes, Malabar Greens Villas, Haripriya Nagar, Golf View Paradise, and Swarna Andhra Phases 01 and 02 have altered or obstructed the natural course of stormwater drains.
At several points, the drain width has reduced drastically, creating blockages and posing flooding risks to surrounding colonies, the HYDRAA Commissioner said.
Jeedimetla drains severely choked
Apart from Nagi Reddy Kunta, the Commissioner inspected the Fox Sagar flood drain passing through Jeedimetla. He noted that the drain has been heavily encroached upon, shrinking from its original 30-metre width to just 10 metres near residential areas and slums.
For instance, under the culvert at Balanagar Jinkala Wada and Deendayal Nagar, the drain that should ideally be 22 metres wide with an additional 9-metre buffer on both sides (totaling 40 metres) has narrowed to a mere 10 metres.
This severe encroachment is causing widespread flooding along the entire stretch, affecting Fatehnagar and Balanagar slums in particular.
Immediate clearance ordered
Commissioner Ranganath directed officials to conduct a full drone survey of the Jeedimetla drain and remove all encroachments immediately. He also ordered the desilting of soil dumped under Fox Sagar lake to restore the natural flow of stormwater.
Focus on flood-prone areas
The Commissioner emphasised that during heavy rains, drains in Kukatpally and Jeedimetla have become more dangerous than the Musi river itself. “Because these two drains are unable to flow freely, areas like Bharat Nagar, Moosapet, Balanagar, Jinkalawada, Deendayal Nagar, Vinayak Nagar, and Kalyan Nagar are getting submerged. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure such disasters do not happen this year,” he said.
Meetings with residents soon
He added that meetings would soon be organised with residents to discuss the original drain routes and the measures needed to restore them.
Acting swiftly on his directives, officials completed flood-prevention channel works in Swarna Andhra Phase–1, Yapral, on the same day.
The works began immediately after his inspection with the support of HYDRAA and Malkajgiri Circle officials, Ranganath said.
