About the Lake
The Hameed Khan kunta primarily known as the Taj Banjara lake was constructed in 1930 by royal elites located in the lake precincts. It is a man-made tank (4.17 ha) with a maximum depth of 5.0m (average 3.0 m).Large scale encroachment on all the sides of the lake has shrunk the water spread of the lake. The lake is housed in one of the prime location of the city on road no 13 Banjara hills which is seen as a lucrative real estate propriety in the future. In 2002 the lake was adopted for rejuvenation under the National Lake Conservation Programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).Since then almost 2 cores has been spent in rehabilitation and rejuvenation of the Lake.
Map showing Temporal Change of Water Spread in HHK over the years.
Present Status
- Large scale encroachments-planned and unplanned / unauthorised, leading to filling up of lakebeds and conversion into built up area
- Huge amount of solid and liquid waste being dumped regularly resulting into clogging and contamination
- Decline in water quality resulting into eutrophication and algal blooms eventually declining the dissolved oxygen content in the water body making it unfit for survival of aquatic life.
- Excessive foul smell emanating from the lake is felt up to distance of several kilometres and makes the lake aesthetically unfit for the local residents
- Heaps of plastics piled on the water body
- Open burning of municipal solid waste especially plastics is a serious threat to health of the local residents.
In spite of 800mmdia RCC ring drain and two I & D structures constructed by HMWSSB huge amount of excess solid and liquid waste are being dumped regularly resulting into clogging and contamination. According to the A.P pollution control board’s report the dissolved oxygen in the lake is far below the standard making it unfit for survival of any aquatic life or irrigation. Anaerobic conditions, rapid encroachments and concretization of the lake bed have disrupted the lake hydrogeology, There has been urgent need felt by the researchers, practitioners, resident groups and activist to restore the lake in a non-intrusive manner so as to support and augment the natural recovery process.
Existing status
