Cable Bridge To Run Over Durgam Cheruvu Lake

April 27, 2017 11:57

A cable bridge will run across a highly polluted, shrinking lake, the Durgam Cheruvu, also popularly known as the Secret Lake at Madhapur, Hyderabad.

The Rs.184 crore-project is planned to ease traffic congestion on the roads leading to Jubilee Hills Road No.36, Road No.45 and other stretches which lead to HITEC City, Financial district and Gachibowli areas and home for a host several software and corporate companies. The extra dosed Cable Stayed Bridge will take off from existing junction near I-labs (Inorbit Mall end) and deflects to left near the parking area of Telangana Tourism Department and crosses over the Durgam Cheruvu lake. From there, the bridge turns left near walking track of the lake and passes along the hillock and finally turns right and joins Jubilee Hills Road No.45 at Ambedkar Open University main entrance.

In the past few months, very little improvements have been done to improve the condition of the lake. However, the new sewerage plant is non-functional and the sewerage from the surrounding colonies flows into the lake. The lake once upon a time, was the largest in the Cyberabad area. Sadly to say, it is now filled with stagnating garbage and covered with water hyacinth.

Durgam Cheruvu Lake

Hyderabad-based lake protection organization, Lubna Sarwath of Save Our Urban Lakes, said “The catchment area of the lake and the surrounding area has been totally encroached upon. One estimate reveals over 100 million litres of sewerage flows into the Durgam Cheruvu every day.” The aquatic life has completely disappeared. The water spread area has been shrinking over the years and the benefits of the five millions of liters per day sewerage treatment plant of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) in the lake area has been neutralized by huge quantities of raw domestic sewage and waste water flowing directly into the lake through the open drain.

Durgam Cheruvu Lake Bridge Details

The Telangana State Government in 2015, had formed a committee to look into encroachments on 65 acres, but nothing has been done to remove it. Around eight colonies have been built on the Full tank level of the lake, as per the report submitted by the state revenue department and Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to the Legislature Estimates Committee, on lake encroachment.

The agreement period for completing the project is two years and is expected to be completed by February 2019. In case, the company fails to meet the deadline, penalty would be levied by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

As per the approved master plan, prior to 2000, HUDA had approved five layouts adjacent to Durgam Cheruvu towards the northern side. In 1992, one V. K. Singh sold 13 acres of land to Amar Co-Op Hous-ing Society, which appro-ached Huda for layout sanction. The buyers approached the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) for building permission, once the layout was approved, following which construction began in 1998. Heavy rains battered Hyderabad, in 2000, and almost 50% of the low-lying areas were submerged and Durgam Cheruvu waters entered many colonies. The irrigation department, in 2003, constituted a lakes division, and in 2004, this division began erecting “Faster Than Light” (FTL) poles based on the 2000 floods. The officials enquired locally where the lake water had entered and fixed the poles. In 2013, Huda canceled all approved layouts.