Mini-tank bund at Ameenpur Lake soon: Harish Rao

Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao here on Sunday declared that Ameenpur Lake (Peddacheruvu) under Patancheru mandal in the district would be developed into a mini-tank bund at an estimated cost of Rs three crore.

Inaugurating Tree Plantation scheme under Manohara Ameenpur program at Peddacheruvu by planting saplings, the minister said the program is a major step in the protection and conservation of the Ameenpur Lake System comprising 13 lakes.  Harish Rao said he was elated over the local residents, people’s representatives and officials jointly striving to develop the village sincerely. He also thanked every one who had worked hard for strengthening the Ameenpur Peddacheruvu. He also reminded that local legislator Mahipal Reddy had donated Rs 12 lakh for the development of the tank.

 

Stating that there are nine kinds of fish and rare fauna around the Ameenpur tank, Harish Rao said all – villagers, officials and people’s representatives – have onerous responsibility to protect the tank. He assured that steps would be taken to see that clean rain water flowed into the tank for multipurpose use.

 

The Telangana State Special Protection Force (TSSPF)  has taken the ecological conservation initiative along with the Hyderabad Birding Pals and Friends of Flora and Fauna to rejuvenate the lake system. Five clean-up drives mounted by Telangana State Special Protection Force and the two volunteer groups have transformed into a massive campaign with local residents evincing interest in protecting the water bodies. TSSPF Director General Tejdeep Kaur Menon said, “increasing community awareness and cooperation is enabling us to launch sustainable conservation practices with tree planting”.

 

The vast Ameenpur lake near the TSSPF Traning Academy consists of Bandamkommu, Kummari Kunta, Malla Kunta, Gandi Kunta, Pochamma Kunta, Koneru Kunta, Upparaveni Kunta, Shambhuni Kunta, Nimba Cheruvu, Ameenpur Pedda Cheruvu, Ameenpur Chinna Cheruvu, Shetti Kunta/Dubba Kunta, Usakabavi and two feeder lakes Maktameedi Kunta and Maktakindi Kunta under Serilingampally mandal of Ranga Reddy district. All these water bodies are linked to each other.

Though the primary purpose of these water bodies are irrigation and drinking, the other uses include fishing and washing of clothes. Due to urbanization, there is no irrigation and the water is polluted with domestic sewage making it unfit for drinking. The biodiversity has also been damaged due to encroachments and exploitation. Besides, emergence of factories, housing colonies, unlawful constructions and other encroachments, including mines, in the lake conservancy zone, posed an environmental threat to the area around the lake.

It may be mentioned here that a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Harish Rao in the Secretariat recently with Principal Secretaries, MA&UD, Irrigation Commissioner, GHMC, HMDA

and officials of Irrigation department attending and ways and means to develop and maintain the eco-system in and around the Ameenpur Lake Area were discussed. (NSS)