'Protecting the urban lakes of Hyderabad' project endeavours to undertake a comprehensive action research by bringing in key issues and dynamics associated with quantity, quality and lake ecology at the forefront of research, action and policy agenda.
The project aims to generate a repository of knowledge on status, restoration and rejuvenation of the vanishing water bodies of Hyderabad by

• Identifying and mapping the decaying lakes of a selected mandal within the HMDA boundary
• Undertaking research and advocacy for two selected lakes of Hyderabad in the urban and peri urban region
• Developing a technical feasibility report for the restoration and revival of these two lakes through appropriative amalgamation of modern technology and traditional knowledge
• Initiating community mobilization through publicity campaigns and social marketing by developing communication and outreach packages like conducting street plays, developing campaign identity, outreach material like brochures and flyers. Considerable focus has been given to sensitize the masses in disseminating the message of 'save our lake'

Key Project activities
Mapping of lakes depicting their status across Hyderabad District

The project has tried to consolidate the scattered data of the tanks/lakes for the year 2012/13 within the territorial limits of Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, depicting their status. The idea is to bring forth the information of the status of lakes to the public domain. Out of 26 lakes official, only 19 could be actually located from the field. For the purpose of mapping the lakes have been classified into the following four categories

• Protected tanks/lakes: If the lake is protected by GOVT. or Private Bodies.
• Good Condition tank/lake: Tank/Lake maintaining its full tank level with substantially good quality of water.
• Disappearing tank/lake: If the lake is shrinking with identification of severe violations within 10meter radius along its water spread.
• Disappeared tank/lake: the tank/lake does not exist on ground.