Pollution and Encroachment
Pollution levels in the tanks have been going up. Hussainsagar lake, which
has been developed into a tourist centre by the Hyderabad Urban Development
Authority, stinks of sulphur fumes and is extremely filthy. The quality
of Hussainsagar water has gradually deteriorated during the last 20 to
30 years, mainly owing to the continual ingress of untreated domestic
sewage and industrial effluents. With the installation of 30 mld Sewage
Treatment Plant there, there is improvement.
"There are more than 1,000 polluting industries situated in the catchment area of Hussainsagar", says Purushottam Reddy, founding member of an NGO called Citizens Against Pollution (CAP). Most of the effluents flowing in the Hussainsagar are from these chemical industries. The lake gets little chance to rejuvenerate itself, since a runoff occurs only once a year during the rains and pollutants flow in throughout the year. Fish kills have occurred as a result of lack of dissolved oxygen, endangering the livelihoods of about 200 fisherfolk, who depend on this tank for their livelihood. A fisherman says that, there was a time when they could catch 500 kg of fish a day, but now they get only 50 kg.
Sewage Treatment plant : The level of the lake is being artificially maintained by domestic sewage that has been going in. All domestic sewage could not be diverted. The storm drains, which should be carrying rainwater to the lake, are now carrying sewage from the neighbouring colony.
Some local politicians and land-grabbers have become a threat to these tanks. While the Masab tank bed has been taken over by a colony, a slum colony has taken over Mir Jumla. Chemical factories situated on the Ramanthapur tank bed have been dumping hazardous waste. In fact, a former Chief Minister allegedly built his party headquarters on the lake bed of Osmansagar.