Govt silent on encroachments; needs to take action: NVSS Prabhakar

Uppal MLA NVSS Prabhakar inspected the RK Puram Lake on Thursday and berated the Telangana government for its inaction on lake encroachers.

“The government is silent while land sharks are constructing multi-storeyed buildings in the locality. The government has to answer the people,” NVSS Prabhakar said, adding that he would raise this issue in the Assembly.

The RK Puram Lake is a natural lake located in the middle of the city. A few decades ago, it was a source of fresh water for the residents apart from playing host to migratory birds. Over years, the lake has borne the brunt of encroachments and pollution rendering it into a cesspool.

The problems surrounding the RK Puram Lake have now disrupted the smooth functioning of a 30,000 strong residential community of Malkajgiri, which is forced to fight a daily battle of water scarcity and sanitation. Severe land encroachments that have cropped up on the banks of the lake over the past few years have resulted in the depletion of the water levels.

"The borewells have gone dry because of the dropping lake levels. We get water from the municipality once every few days which is not enough. It feels like a perpetual drought," said a resident.

The unhygienic living conditions have adversely affected the health of the residents who have been frequently falling prey to diseases.

"Human and animal waste is just dumped into the lake from peoples' houses. The stench and the increasing number of mosquitoes that are breeding on the lake have become a nuisance," said Dilip Reddy, a resident of Malkajgiri.