IT and MA&UD Minister Shri K T Rama Rao kicked off the Mission Kakatiya Programme for restoration of 40 lakes in Hyderabad from Neknampur[/caption]IT and MA&UD Minister KTR kicks off massive programme for clean up of 40 lakes in the twin-cities beginning with Neknampur Lake
Hyderabad, April 13,
Among all such initiatives in the city, the Neknampur Lake in Hyderabad stands out as a prime example of civil society partnership with the administration and corporates to protect and restore our water bodies to their pristine condition.
The 108 acre lake, from where the IT and Municipal Administration & Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao kicked off a Rs 441 crore drive to clean up 40 lakes in the city under the Mission Kakatiya Programme on Friday, had become the a dumping ground with garbage and sewage from nearby townships spoiling it for several years. The lake had also been the source of the mosquito menace that plagued the localities around it.
It was only over the past one year that efforts by NGOs, local residents and the civic authorities like GHMC and HMDA together started showing results. Sensitizing local populace to the need to desist from using it to dump sewage and waste also helped.
While the state administration has stepping in with a budget allocation of nearly Rs 22 crore just for the Neknampur lake, the onus for maintaining it is with the local residents, the Minister said inaugurating the programme.
Accordingly, the six local Resident Welfare Associations (RWA)s which formed the Neknampur Lake Development Cooperative Society almost an year back, have taken it upon themselves to ensure the lake is maintained in its restored state.
“While we made good progress in cleaning up 90% of the hyacinth it resurfaced defeating our efforts,” says Manoj Kumar, General Secretary, Alakapoor Township Residents Associations (ATRA), That was when the residents approached minister K T Rama Rao last year for a permanent solution.
A master plan was prepared by the irrigation department and the GHMC including a proposal for setting up a sewage treatment plant (STP), storm water system upgradation under the Mission Kakatiya Programme. The plan also included building a walking track around the lake and greenery around it.
The Mission Kakatiya encompasses community involvement ab initio in such projects with all tank users who are directly or indirectly dependent on it. The projects are to adopted on a participatory mode including financial contributions from parties interested.
While the administration support was assured, the lake committee simultaneously kicked off campaigns to increase awareness on the need to restore and maintain the lake. It conducted a 5k run, a kite festival during Sankranti and cleanup drives in which several corporates, NGOs and other institutions participated to highlight the urgency for people’s participation in cleaning the lake.
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