హైదరాబాద్ చెరువులు ఎక్కడికి పోయాయి? ఆక్రమణలు, వరదలు, రక్షణ పోరాటం

Hyderabad's lost lakes: Encroachment, floods and the fight to save them

During the Qutub Shahis and Asaf Jahis, Hyderabad was known as the "City of Tanks". Hundreds of tanks built on the Deccan Plateau to catch rainwater provided drinking water, irrigation water, and cooling for the city. A chain system of canals, where the excess water flowed from one tank to another when it was full, also controlled floods. But in the last few decades, many of these tanks have disappeared or shrunk.

Ponds in history

Hussain Sagar, located in the heart of the city, was built by Hussain Shah Wali in 1562 during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. It is a lake that connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Buddha statue in its middle is now a symbol of the city.

The 1908 Flood — A Lesson

On September 28, 1908, the Musi River overflowed its banks due to torrential rains. Thousands of people lost their lives and thousands of houses were washed away. It is said that more than a hundred people saved their lives by climbing a fig tree in the Afzalganj area — that tree still stands in the Osmania Hospital premises. After this disaster, the Nizam's government took the advice of the renowned engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya. On his advice, the Usman Sagar (Gandipet) and Himayat Sagar reservoirs were built on the Musi and Esi rivers. These not only prevented floods, but also provided drinking water to the city for decades.

How did the ponds disappear?

As the city expanded rapidly, houses, apartments, and commercial buildings sprang up in the buffer zones of the tanks, above their full water level (FTL). The canals (nalas) connecting the tanks were encroached upon, shrunk, or completely blocked. Sewage, industrial waste, and garbage entered the tanks. Some tanks remained only on paper.

2020 floods — another warning

Heavy rains in October 2020 submerged many colonies in Hyderabad. In some areas, water remained for days. There was loss of life and property. Experts have identified that the most affected areas were along the FTLs and drains of tanks in the past. These floods have once again shown that if water is not given a path, it will find its own way.

Hydra — A New Attempt

In 2024, the Telangana government set up "HYDRA" (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency). Its responsibilities include clearing ponds, removing encroachments on government lands, and providing relief during disasters. The demolition of several structures within the FTL area has been in the news. On the one hand, environmentalists have welcomed this as necessary for the protection of ponds, but on the other hand, victims and opposition parties have questioned the need for transparency in the actions and the harm it is causing to the common man who bought houses with permits.

Rays of hope

Ameenpur Lake was declared the first biodiversity heritage site in the state in 2016. Hundreds of migratory birds flock there. Development around Durgam Lake and people from some colonies volunteering to clean the lakes are promising examples.

Precautions before buying a house

• Check in official records whether the plot or flat pond is within the FTL or buffer zone.

• Check with the relevant departments to ensure that building permits and layout permits are genuine.

• Looking at old satellite images (Google Earth Historical Imagery) will reveal whether there was water there in the past.

• Ask locals what the area is like during the rainy season.

Conclusion

Tanks are the lungs of Hyderabad, a shield against floods. Protecting them is not just the responsibility of the government; it is the responsibility of every citizen.

Photo: Nikhilb239 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)