Three-member committee to study Durgam Cheruvu lake problems

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday appointed a three member expert committee with the Director of National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) Athul Vaidya, Prinicipal secretary, Irrigation and CAD M.Shanthi Vardhani, and Secretary of High Court Legal Services Committee to study the condition of Durgam Cheruvu lake and submit a report to the Court with regard to causes of pollution and the measures required to be taken to protect and preserve the lake.

The civic authorities including HMDA, GHMC were kept out of the Committee as the division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar remarked that the inclusion of these authorities would not let the committee progress. The bench was dealing with a suo moto public interest litigation case pertaining to pollution of Durgam Cheruvu.

According to an English daily newspaper report, environmentalists and local residents have found hundreds of fish floating on the surface of the lake and for gasping of air and some of them were spotted lifeless along its periphery. The reasons pointed out were the poison and pollution of the lake due to the sewage flowing from the houses is being let of directly into the lake. It is also pointed out that both the old and new Sewage Treatment Plants have ceased to operate long ago.

The study conducted by Mahindra University and IIT, Hyderabad uncovered the presence of 183 compounds including pharmaceuticals, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, hormones, steroids, UV filters, plasticizers, cyanotoxins and metabolites in the water. The research pointed out to the potential harm these pollutants pose to both human and aquatic life. Knowing through amicus curie that the Dr. Atul Narayan Vaidya has expressed his willingness to conduct study on the lake, the bench has appointed the expert committee to inspect the causes of pollution as well as to suggest measures required for protecting and preserving the lake.

The bench disappointed with the civic authorities, commented that these steps are to be taken in the interest of the future generations. The Government Pleader for the Revenue Department has given undertaking on behalf of the state government that, the committee shall be rendered all assistance required apart from providing police team during inspection and bearing the expenses including travelling expenses. The case is posted to February 6 for further hearing.