Fountains to add more beauty to Hussain Sagar

Hyderabad, Sept 03 (INN): The historic Hussain Sagar lake has just got a face lift. The State Government has installed seven fountains, which will not only improve the water quality, but will add to the beauty of the lake.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday inaugurated seven High Jet fountains, installed at a cost of Rs 1.32 Crore. Each fountain goes up to the height of 20 metres and discharges about 160 Cum water per hour. According to officials the fountains would enhance the dissolved oxygen and improve the water quality.

The Chief Minister on Saturday visited the Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Projects along with Ministers, MP, MLAs and other officials and asked the officials to speed up the projects on a war footing to beautify the Hussain Sagar area.

Hussain Sagar Lake has become polluted by the entry of untreated sewage and industrial effluent through the nalas that flow into the lake. As a result, nutrient rich sediments accumulated in the lake bed which in turn acted as an internal source of supply of nutrients to the Lake water.

Other sources of pollution included cattle washing, vehicle washing, dumping of domestic solid waste along the shore line as well as the immersion of large numbers of Ganesh and Durga Idols during festivals containing paints, clay, gypsum and plaster of Paris, flowers and garlands. Due to the resulting eutrophication, algal blooms with emission of bad odour, the water body is not conducive for recreation and pisciculture.

HMDA has taken up a project "Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project (HCIP)", to maintain round the year water balance in the lake, to improve the lake water quality by preventing pollutants entering into the lake both at the points of source & non-point sources of pollution, removal of nutrient-rich sediments at lake bed, interception and diversion of dry weather flows, improvement of nalas and to improve the overall lake environment and its surroundings for enriched biodiversity, increasing the potentiality of eco-tourism.

Officials explained to the Chief Minister on the construction of a new 30 MLD Sewerage Treatment Plant at Picket Nala, upgradation of existing 20 MLD Hussain Sagar Sewerage Treatment Plant, Construction of Ring Sewers around the Hussain Sagar Lake, Construction of Small Sewerage Treatment Plant - 5 MLD at Ranghadhamini Cheruvu, Construction of Trunk Sewers in Secunderabad Cantonment Board area and in GHMC Zone-VI, Capacity Enhancement of Interception and Diversion (I&D) Works and Recycled Water Supply Facilities.

The Lake and Nala Improvement works involve dredging and disposal of sediments, Installation of Aeration Equipment, Shoreline Improvement, Nala Improvement, its restoration, fencing and Greenery Development. Slum Development, Public Awareness & Community Participation and Capacity Building are also being taken up.

The Chief Minister also visited the 20 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant upgraded from Secondary Level Treatment to Tertiary Level Treatment using Membrane Technology and designed for removal of Phosphorous and Nitrogen and the treated water is designed to have the quality of SW-II Parameter i.e. bathing quality and for non potable use.

The total contract value is Rs.28.30 crs, the likely date of commissioning of the plant is October 15, 2011. The Chief Minister also inspected the Kukatpally Nala which is the largest point pollution source to the Hussain Sagar Lake and almost discharges about 250 MLD of sewage per day.

As usual, the Chief Minister kept the officials and media waiting for over one-and-a-half-hour for the event. Though his visit was originally scheduled at 10 am, he reached the venue at 11.40 am. He concluded the tour after an hour at about 11.50 am.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Municipal Administration Minister Maheedhar Reddy, city ministers Mukesh Goud and D Nagender, Secunderabad MP Anjankumar Yadav, NDMA vice-Chairman M Sashidhar Reddy, Mayor Smt B Karthika Reddy, Prl Secretary MA&UD Sam Bob, HMDA Commissioner Rajesh Tiwari, GHMC Commissioner M.T.Krishna Babu, Hyderabad Collector Natrajan Gulzar and local corporator Mohammad Shareef.