Note on environmental issues in my locality - K Amrutha lakshmi, Nagaram, Hyderabad

The live in a small village located on the northern part of the city of Hyderabad.Now it is in the process of
urbanization and many residential colonies are coming up increasing the stress on the existing
infrastructure like water, both drinking and daily use and drainage/ sewerage facilities. The village , like
any other village in the state, has got two kuntas (ponds) and a lake( tank). The lake as well as the ponds
used to be the source of irrigation water for the neighboring agricultural fields. Many aquatic birds used to
visit these water bodies.
There was an attempt to encroach the pond by filling it, initially with with garbage, and subsequently with
soil. I took up the issue with the lake protection committee by sending a report with all the details including
a few pictures by email to all the members. There was no response from them. Then I lodged complaint
with the District collector who promptly responded by sending all the revenue authorities to the spot who
have removed the soil and garbage from the pond. I single handedly took up the issue as there were only
four houses in the colony ( individual action) then.
When I shifted my residence out of the village for two years, many changes have taken place in my
absence as there was no one who was interested in the wellbeing of the village and the surroundings.
There is increase in the population density due to mushrooming residential colonies in my village. It is no
more a village and became part of the growing city. Due to negligence in the maintenance the water
bodies were shrinking in size and growth of water hyacinth and water cabbage are resulting in their slow
death. The system of linking of the tanks is existing here where the tanks of higher regions are linked to
the ones in the lower region. As a result the sewerage from the colonies located in the upper regions is
flowing into the tank of our village and from there into the other two tanks in the lower regions rendering
them useless for any purpose. The agricultural land is converted into residential layouts.The sewage from
my village is also diverted into the pond.The water bodies now stink with very bad smell and dont attract
any aquatic birds. Even the baya weaver birds, munias , red wattled lapwings, coots,common moorhens,
little grebes, white breasted water hens,and the pied mynas which used to build nests around the lake are
conspicuous by their absence. Now I find only a handful birds like pond herons, white breasted water
hens ,purple moorhens and bronze winged jacanas. Now there are about fifty houses in the colony and
our residents association is contemplating to complain to the concerned ( community action).

Lake before
Lake now

Now the residents association has taken up the issue of the pond and the lake.