The glory of the once pristine Peacock lake in Hyderabad could be restored, if the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) goes ahead with its plan.
Following repeated complaints by Ravi Jillapalli - a wildlife conservationist and PhD scholar, the GHMC authorities have said they will conduct a full-fledged inspection of the sewage discharging points and penalise the offenders.
The lake has been turned into an open drainage, as a few errant commercial establishments, including the Gachibowli stadium, have been allegedly discharging sewage water into it.
Speaking to TNM, West Zone Commissioner, Harichandana Dasari, said that the Pollution Control Board (PCB) will be collecting water samples from the lake to determine the toxicity levels.
She said the GHMC will be conducting a thorough inspection for a week around the University of Hyderabad campus, to determine the exact location of these sewage discharging points and identify the offenders.
“The preliminary investigation proved that the water could also be storm water, which is not illegal. However, we will conduct week-long, at least two or three inspections to find if there are any illegal water inlets and their source. We will notify the offenders and cut their drain connection,” she said.
The Commissioner added that she has also instructed the Gachibowli stadium authorities to set up sewage treatment units.
A meeting was held on Saturday, which included officials of PCB, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Board, Sports Authority of Telangana and other stakeholders, who have been accused of polluting the lake.
Ravi Jillapalli remarked, “I hope this meeting puts an end to the pollution of the lake.”
Peacock lake is located inside the University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli complex.
The university is an abode to various wild animals and birds including endangered species like wild deers and peacocks. The University had recently constituted a technical team to probe the pollution in its water bodies.