491 out of 920 Hyderabad lakes, tanks encroached in 20 years; Telangana government wants to reclaim them

Hyderabad's charm comes from its rocks, parks, and lakes, but encroachments have diminished these features, leading to flooding risks during heavy rains, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Published Oct 08, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2024 | 7:19 PM

TGRAC report : Bhatti Vikramarka reasserts Telangana government’s aim to reclaim Hyderabad's encroached water bodies

Telangana government's aim to reclaim encroached water bodies

The Telangana government has pledged to eliminate encroachments on water bodies in and around Hyderabad, following revelations that 491 of the 920 identified lakes and tanks have been fully or partially encroached over the past two decades.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka emphasised the government’s commitment to reclaiming these vital resources using advanced Geospatial Technology.

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High-tech approach to mapping and recovery

The Hindu reported a little while ago that, during a recent interaction, Vikramarka announced that the Telangana Remote Sensing Applications Centre (TGRAC) spearheaded the mapping and identification of encroachments using historical geospatial datasets from before 2014 and after the formation of Telangana State.

The Deputy Chief Minister stated, “We will use cutting-edge technology to reclaim our water bodies and ensure they are free from illegal encroachments.”

The TGRAC has utilised remote sensing and GIS techniques to delineate water bodies within Hyderabad and extending to the Outer Ring Road (ORR). By examining revenue village Cadastral Maps, administrative boundaries, and satellite imagery from 2014 and 2023, the agency aims to create a comprehensive digital database to identify and demarcate these critical resources.

Fully encroached waterbody according to the TGRAC report

Alarm over rising encroachments

Vikramarka presented alarming statistics regarding the encroachment of water bodies. As of 2014, there were 417 water bodies within GHMC limits, of which 182 were fully encroached.

By 2023, this number rose to 193 full encroachments. Meanwhile, between GHMC and ORR, the situation has similarly deteriorated, with fully encroached water bodies increasing from 62 to 89 over the same period.

Criticism on the BRS government

The Deputy Chief Minister criticised past administrations for failing to protect Hyderabad’s lakes and rivers.

“Is it not a fact that the former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, former Minister KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao talked big on protecting lakes and that stern measures would be taken to prevent encroachments when they were in power?” Bhatti said.

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He asserted that the current Congress government is dedicated to restoring these natural resources for future generations.

“Lakes do not belong to individual politicians; they belong to the people of Hyderabad,” he declared. “We must act now to stop the ongoing encroachments before it’s too late.”

Summary of the area of tanks and Encroachment in acres

Vikramarka stated that the TGRAC report would facilitate phased removal of illegal structures encroaching on these water bodies. He urged community involvement in preserving these assets, emphasising that safeguarding Hyderabad’s lakes is a collective responsibility.

Partly encroached waterbody according to the TGRAC report

Highlights from the TGRAC Report

Total Water Bodies: 920
Status in 2014: 225 fully encroached, 196 partially encroached, 499 with no encroachments.

Encroachments over the past decade (2014-2023)

The report presented a comprehensive list of 20 live water bodies, encroached fully during 2014-2023, along with pictures and longitude and latitude of the affected water bodies. Of these, nine were in the district of Medchal.
The report presented a comprehensive list of 57 Waterbodies encroached partly during 2014-2023, along with pictures and longitude and latitude of the affected water bodies. Of these, 28 were in the district of Medchal, with the next highest of 22 in Rangareddy.
The report presented a comprehensive list of 24 partly encroached water bodies – Encroached fully during 2014-2023, along with pictures and longitude and latitude of the affected water bodies. Of these, 10 were in the district of Medchal and 10 in Rangareddy district as well
The report presented a comprehensive list of 70 partly encroached water bodies – Further encroached during 2014-2023 (but not fully encroached), along with pictures and longitude and latitude of the affected water bodies. Of these, 33 were in the district of Medchal, with the next highest of 22 in Rangareddy district

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(Edited by Ananya Rao)