Now Reading: Hyderabad lake restoration shows limits of quick fixes
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Hyderabad lake restoration shows limits of quick fixes
Wetlands and urban lakes across the world, including in India, are disappearing fast due to rapid and unplanned urbanisation. These ecosystems store large amounts of carbon, support biodiversity, and regulate climate, but…
Wetlands and urban lakes across the world, including in India, are disappearing fast due to rapid and unplanned urbanisation. These ecosystems store large amounts of carbon, support biodiversity, and regulate climate, but are often treated as vacant land by developers and municipal bodies, making them vulnerable to encroachment and ecological death.
The restoration of Bathukamma Kunta lake in Hyderabad's Amberpet area is an example of efforts to revive these water bodies. However, the piece warns that quick fixes are not enough, lasting revival requires a fundamental shift in how cities value and protect their natural infrastructure.
Without systemic change, urban lakes will continue to be lost, eroding cities' natural defences against climate change and threatening public health and liveability, the report cautions.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Hyderabad once had over 800 lakes, but many have been lost to construction and sewage dumping. The Telangana government's lake restoration programme has faced criticism for being piecemeal and lacking long-term maintenance plans. Under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, states are required to protect water bodies, but enforcement remains weak. A 2023 report by the National Institute of Urban Affairs found that only 12% of Indian cities have a comprehensive wetland management plan. The next test will be whether the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority adopts a basin-wide approach rather than isolated projects.
The Supreme Court's 2017 order declaring wetlands as a 'natural resource' under Article 21 of the Constitution has not stopped encroachments in cities like Bengaluru and Chennai. Without a binding timeline for state-level wetland inventories, the gap between policy and ground reality will widen.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
