Subject: Water-body in Survey of India topomap at 17°17’52.16″N 78°25’26.67″E in Gaganpahad locally called as Appa Cheruvu – not notified by HMDA – and notified lake 2930 Brahman Kunta, Gaganpahad; both lakes not protected by officials or elected leaders.
Reference: Hyderabad floods between October 1-14, 2020 – death and loss of property due to officials and elected leaders who disobeyed law and constitution of India – did not protect water bodies, in spite of continuous representations from us.
We have been urging in numerous of our representations since years to restore lakes and restore the interlinked channels of the lakes to ensure free flow of surplus waters from one lake to another after the lake is filled to its maximum water spread and to its original storage capacity, and drain finally into Moosi Nadi, but in vain.
See below chronologically placed satellite imageries of a huge water body that is identified in Survey of India topomaps, at 17°17’52.16″N 78°25’26.67″E locally called as Appa Cheruvu and 2930 Brahman Kunta Gaganpahad, as one of the critically affected areas by flooding.
The water-body Appa Cheruvu was identified by our team in 2014 itself and a kml file as well as a pdf file list with geo coordinates was given to the lake protection committee of which Collector, RR is a member, to officials concerned and also to irrigation minister.
During the 1-14 October 2020 Hyderabad floods loss of life and property has been reported from this area on 13 October 2020. This lake along with its hydrological network is not notified by HMDA, is not protected/restored by officials & not protected/restored by elected leaders of the area.
People faced loss of life and property and severe problems due to the lakes not being restored in spite of our repeated representations and in spite of repeated orders from high court and orders of Supreme Court to take care of water bodies
Below is a digital walk-through along the historical satellite imagery from Google Earth of both upstream Brahman Kunta, Gaganpahad and Appa Cheruvu, Gaganpahad to understand how officials and elected leaders presided over the destruction of water bodies and brought misery on citizens:
Picture 1: COMPARATIVE SATELLITE IMAGERIES OF 2930 BRAHMAN KUNTA GAGANPAHAD AND APPA CHERUVU IN 2017-18 AND 2020.
Left side is the imagery of November 2017 and right side is satellite imagery of the same area as on May 2020. This is the story across Hyderabad. When lakes are levelled, encroached and connecting channels to drain out excess surplus waters are destroyed where would the rain water deposit itself but into the habitations that are either in the water body or in the vicinities.
Picture 2: 15 January 2011 satellite imagery of Appa Cheruvu filled with water:
Picture 3: 9 November 2017 satellite imagery of Appa Cheruvu filled with water:
Picture 4: 9 January 2019 satellite imagery of Appa Cheruvu still has water in spite of not much of rains:
Picture 5: 26 November 2019 satellite imagery of Appa Cheruvu landfilled and not notified in spite of our representations. No care was taken in spite of high court asking for condition of all lakes in one of the PIL filed for restoration of Khajaguda Pedda Cheruvu:
Picture 6: 29 May 2020 satellite imagery of Appa Cheruvu that has been levelled and destroyed in spite of representations, high court orders and Supreme Court orders to take care of water bodies as they are lifelines:
PLEASE NOTE:
District Collector, Ranga Reddy district, who also heads the RR District WALTA authority is urged to restore the hydrology of both 2930 Brahman Kunta and Appa Cheruvu to their maximum water spread and fence them at the buffer zone 30m from FTL boundary, dredge the lakes to its original storage capacity, restore inflow channels and outflow channels and fence them at its buffer zone of 7 metres. Free the lake from all encroachments, whether it is apartments or hutments. The flood’s fury has not spared any class and water necessity is lifeline irrespective of class.
It is appalling that in one of the recent PIL filed in high court in 172 of 2020 for restoration of Palle Cheruvu Rajendranagar-Bandlaguda, MRO Rajendranagar has given affidavit as follows:
That the MRO Rajendranagar has not taken any precautions to protect the water bodies in Rajendranagar Mandal is evident by this misery that happened with citizens at Appa Rao Cheruvu and Brahman Kunta Cheruvu as one of the many instances across the district.
Expect your prompt response.
Be assured of full coordination from us in this bounden duty of yours to restore and protect the water body.
Best,
Dr Lubna Sarwath, State General Secretary, Socialist Party (India)
Dr Jasveen Jairath, Founder-Convenor, Save Our Urban Lakes,
Ph: 9963002403
