Durgam Cheruvu is set to get a new lease of life as the Telangana government has initiated a few steps to end the lake’s sewage problem.

The lake now sees 30 million litres of sewage entering it waters from residential area of Jubilee Hills from two inlets at Prashasan Nagar and Madhapur catchment area. A five million litre a Day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was set up by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) way back in 2006 when the lake was receiving only three MLD of sewage.

However, with the sudden spurt in residential properties in the following years in the environs, the sewage inflows have since increased ten fold. A survey done at the behest of High Court had revealed that there are 222 encroachments within the lake’s 156 acre spread.

Residents of the areas abutting the lake do admit that flooding from the lake’s sewage-laden water is common when the surplus weir or the sluice channels are closed. To prevent flooding, the water in the lake has to be maintained at a constant level, sometimes lower than its full tank level, by constantly letting water downstream.

“During one such instance last month, cellars of many constructions were flooded, necessitating an inspection by Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao. The Minister had then announced formation of a committee headed by GHMC Additional Commissioner P.S. Pradyumna to work out an improvement plan for the lake,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.

It is reliably learnt that the committee had suggested enhancement of the lone STP’s capacity. While there is enough land near the lake to install a 50 MLD STP, immediate capacity enhancements can increase the plant’s operation to treat 12 MLD of sewage, he explained.

The committee had also recommended that sewage should be prevented from entering the downstream lakes by diverting at the source and subsequent treatment downstream. Accordingly, sewage water would be diverted to Malka Cheruvu and Ibrahimbagh lake for treatment downstream before the release. Currently wastes from Durgam Cheruvu flows unchecked downstream before entering Musi river, the senior official added.