Conservation and Management

of Urban Lakes in Hyderabad

Prof. Mrinal K. Sen, Director, CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad

Dr. M.J.Nandan, Sr. Scientist

SOUL Annual Day June 23, 2012

Water and Civilization

Saraswati Civilization

The roots of Bharatiya culture are to be found

on the banks of River Sarasvati
Saraswati River, adored in Indian Civilization
from the days of the Rigveda, is not a myth but
a reality, not a legend but ground-truth
On the banks of River Saraswati was nurtured a
civilization, attested by over 2,000
archaeological sites on the river basin, making it
appropriate, as suggested by many
archaeologists, to name it as Saraswati
Civilization, instead of Indus Valley or Harappan
Civilization

We need to protect our water resources to protect our civilizations

WHY LAKES ARE IMPORTANT ?

All human and other life of the earth depends on less than
1 % of the total quantity of water on this planet

Lakes are mainly used for :

Drinking water, transportation, irrigation, fishing, recreation, habitat

 Lakes of Hyderabad

Hyderabad city occupies one of the top positions in the country in terms of Urban Lakes
At the turn of 20th centaury number of lakes was 532 which was reduced to 400 at the time of
independence and today 170 water bodies with > 10 hectors (25 acres)
Important Functions of Hyderabad Lakes
Drinking Water
Habitat
Aesthetic Value
Recreation
Flood Control
Groundwater Recharge
Natural Filters
Climate
 STATUS OF HYDERABAD LAKES

Drinking Water Conservation Lost Forever

• Osmansagar • Hussainsagar • Mir Jumla Tank
• Himayatsagar • Sarrornagar lake • Ma Sahab Tank
• Mir Alam Tank • Batkamma Kunta
• Durgam Cheruvu
• Nadimi Cheruvu
• Banjara Tank
• Shamirpet lake
• Pedda Cheruvu
• Mysamma Cheruvu
• Kapra Cheruvu
• Patel Cheruvu
• Nalla Cheruvu
• R.K.Puram Cheruvu
• Yellamma Cheruvu
• Amber Cheruvu
• Banda Cheruvu
 HMDA Lake Protection Committee

Priority-I : Development of Green Belt

Osman Sagar
Himayath Sagar
Hussain Sagar.
Priority-II : Demarcation of boundary & removal of encroachments
Durgam Cheruvu
Banda Cheruvu (Malkajgiri)
Thammadi Kunta (Madhapur)
Amber Cheruvu (Kukatpally)
Hasmathpet Cheruvu (Kukatpally)
Yellamma Cheruvu (Serilingampally)
Bhagarathi Cheruvu (Serilingampally)
Mysamma Cheruvu (Serilingampally)
Pedda Cheruvu (Ramanthapur) Encroachments pose a threat to
Bandlacheruvu lake at Neredmet
Kapra Cheruvu (Kapra)

Priority-III: Diversion of excess Sewerage in-flow/ construction of STPs

Banjara Lake
R.K.Puram Cheruvu (Malkajgiri)
Patel Cheruvu (Nacharam)
Pedda Cheruvu (Nacharam)
Nalla Cheruvu (Uppal)
Mir Alam Tank (Rajendra Nagar)
Satam Cheruvu (MCH area)
Nalla Cheruvu (Moosapet)
 Why these Lakes are Dying?

Increasing Population
Census %± Climate changes
1971 1,796,000 —
1981 2,546,000 41.8% Deforestation
1991 3,059,262 20.2%
2001 3,637,483 18.9% Encroachment
2011 6,809,970 87.2%
Shortage in rainfall
Pollution (Point & Non Point)
 Major Sources of Lake Pollution
NONPOINT SOURCES

Rural Areas

Urban Areas Agriculture

Animal feedlot

Suburban POINT SOURCES

development Industries

Wastewater
treatment plant

Nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or
hydrologic modification.
Point source means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch,
channel, tunnel, conduit, well, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft, from
which pollutants are or may be discharged.
 Process of Degradation
The amount of inflow (water, sediments,
Particulate and disilloved organics) is the
main load for the lake and Residence time
Is the average age of the load and flushing
Rate is the process required to exchange
the nutrient rich water with fresh water .

Higher Residence Time + Lower Flushing

Rates = Lake Degradation

Trophic status is the degree of biological

production within a lake to understand its
pollution status. Oligotrophic lakes contain poor
level of nutrients and less polluted. Mesotrophic
lakes contain medium level of nutrients and are in
the process of degradation. Eutrophic lakes are
highly polluted and needs restoration and
conservation.
 Lake Trophic Status
Oligotrophic
Low productivity,
clear water, life more
sparse

Eutrophic
High productivity,
murkier water, but
more life

Most lakes in & around Hyderabad City have already reached the eutrophic status due to
human activities; such lakes are not of much value to humans and therefore are in urgent
need of resurrection.
B How It Effects the Environment
I
O Toxic chemicals
M and heavy
A metals flow into
the lakes enters Water
G the food chain 0.000002 ppm
N of plants and
animals and its Aquatic Birds
I 124 ppm
concentrations Phytoplankton
F increases upto 0.0025 ppm
I maximum 6.2
C crores which is
more
A dangerous for Aquatic Bird Eggs
T life and 124 ppm

I environment.

O Zooplankton Big Fish/Carps

0.123 ppm 4.83 ppm
N 6.2 CRORE TIMES

Small Fish
1.04 ppm
Lakes and Impact on
City Temperature

Temperature profile in various directions.

X axis – Movement along the
transacts from the Bangalore city centre,
Y axis - Temperature (°C).

Ecological Approach for Mitigation of Urban Flood Risks

T.V. Ramachandra, Uttam Kumar and Bharath H. Aithal, 2012
 Lake Conservation Projects Approved Under the NLCP ( June 2010)
350 14

300 12

250 10

200 8

150 6

100 4

50 2

0 0

Sanctioned Cost No of Lakes Conservation and Management of Lakes

An Indian Perspective
Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2010

Sanctioned Cost : Rs. 4.30 Crores Lakes Covered : 1

 NGRI` s R&D Programs for the
Management of Hyderabad Lakes
Hyderbad Urban Development Authority (HUDA)
1. Lake Water Budget of Durgamcheruvu and Groundwater & Surface Water
Conditions in the Durgamcheruvu Watershed
2. Lake Water Budget of Mir-Alam-Tank and Groundwater & Surface Water
Quality in the Mir-Alam-Tank Watershed
3. Assessment of Lake Water Interaction with Groundwater and Water Quality
around Patelcheruvu, Peddacheruvu & Nallacheruvu Lakes (North East Musi
Basin)
4. Ecology of Osmansagar & Himayatsagar Lakes study, Hyderabad, A.P.

NGRI In-house Project (2007-12)

Groundwater Quality Limnological Investigations on Hussainsagar Lake

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA)

Member – Lake Protection Committee
 Remote Sensing Studies of
Predicted Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Himayatsagar and Osmansagr Reservoirs
status from Mir Alam Tank (50 Years)

Permeability distribution in m/day in the

WQ Monitoring Studies by NGRI Staff Catchment area of Osmansagar Lake
at Mir Alam Tank
 Hussainsagar Lake

1. Urban Hydrology
2. Surface & Groundwater Quality
3. Toxic Metals
4. Sediments
5. Groundwater Flow and Mass
Transport Modeling
6. Pollution & Management
Digital Elevation Model of Hussainsagar catchment, Andhra Pradesh

Groundwater Flow and Mass Transport

Modelling in Hussainsagar Catchment
 Lakes Studied : RK Puram Cheruvu, Nadimi Cheruvu, Bandla Cheruvu,
Patel Cheruvu, Pedda Cheruvu, Nalla Cheruvu, Durgam Cheruvu, Mir Alam Tank
Ecology of Osmansagar & Himayatsagar Lakes study, Hyderabad, A.P.

Catchment areas of Osmansagar & Himayatsagar Lakes

Ranga Reddy District, A.P.

Hydrology, Ecology and Water quality Studies

 Fundamental Duties Enshrined in the Constitution of India

Article 51A-It Shall be the duty of every citizens of India

 
1. to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the
National Flag and the National Anthem;
2. to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle
for freedom;
3. to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
4. to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do
so;
5. to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all
the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or
sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women;
6. to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;
7. to protect and improve the natural environment including
forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for
living creatures;
8. to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and
reform;
9. to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
10. to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective
activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour
and achievement
 Some Immediate Steps……
 Distribution of Lakes in and around Hyderbad City
(Minor, Small, Medium, Large, Very Large) HMDA
NGRI
 Understand the value and functions IIIT
NRSC
 Pollution problems (lake level and basin level)

 Trophic Status
EPTRI
 Prioritization for Conservation and Management NGRI
HMDA
 Finding out suitable management and restoration techniques
NGO`s
 Stake Holders or Citizen`s Participation Citizen
Forums
 Implementation of Management Programs
Restoration & Conservation of Dying Lakes
 Clearly demarcate the lake margin & stabilize
by suitable vegetal cover
 Check the process of eutrophication
 De silting of lakes
 Regulate the use of insecticides/pesticides in
the catchment areas to check lake pollution
from agriculture run off
 Ban agricultural practice in the lake basin
sewage must be diverted away from the lakes
 Continuous Monitoring for WQ studies
 Few Questions About the Urban Lakes ???

Who owns the waterbody?

How many waterbodies are there ?
Which Waterbodies should be protected?
What is the no-construction zone around the waterbody?
Will the catchment and channels feeding the waterbodies
be protected?
Who will maintain the waterbody?
 Multiplicity of Departments
Conflict of Interests & No Accountability
Multiplicity of Policies & Laws
No Unified, Holistic Policy & Legal Framework

Lake Protection Society, 2011, Udaipur

An Independent Agency for Lakes ? ? ?

LDA
Lake Development Authority

Madhya Pradesh, Chilka, J&K, Karnakata, Uttarakhand

To work solely for the regeneration and

Conservation of lakes in and around Hyderabad City within HMDA jurisdiction
and also for other lakes of Andhra Pradesh
 Thanks

Himayatsagar