Hyderabad: Nizampet's Pragatinagar Lake turns into sewage cesspool

This freshwater lake in the Nizampet area in Hyderabad has turned into a sewage cesspool. There is no sewerage system in Nizampet area and as a result, the Amber Lake - locally known as the Pragatinagar Lake - has been giving out an unbearable stench.

The New Indian Express reports that the Pragatinagar Lake was once a serene lake in green environs, but today the story is quite different. The Nizampet gram panchayat records show that there are more than 30,000 homes in the area and around 1.25 lakh people live there. But shockingly, there is no basic sewerage system and all the sewage from the homes flows directly into the lake. 

Residents have been quoted by the daily as saying that they cannot open the doors in the evening as the lake becomes infested with mosquitoes. The unbearable stench also makes it difficult for them to live in that area. The open drainage also runs through the apartment buildings making life difficult for them. Many have also been moving out of the area as a result.

During the real estate boom, Nizampet was hot property and many people bought villas and apartments here. The gram panchayats also gave permission without looking into whether basic amenities like sewage and drinking water will be provided, adds the report.

Nizampet gram panchayat member Veshala Dhanunjaya has told the daily that owing to the number of complaints there were now plans to lay a sewerage system in the area.