The Chitkul Lake in Patancheru suddenly made headlines. A week ago, the death of ten tonne of fish sparked concern among the locals. The High Court has taken suo motu notice of this incident. Locals are expressing their anguish, claiming this is evidence that lakes and groundwater are polluted. Residents of the area are lamenting that they have been struggling with the harmful effects of industrial pollution for over three decades. Consequently, buyers of plots and flats in Patancheru should make their final decision only after understanding the extent of this pollution.
Large lakes in Patancheru, such as the Peddacheruvu and the Mutthangi Lake, have been polluted. Ten years ago, fish were caught in these lakes, but now the situation has deteriorated. The Pollution Control Board states that the recent oxygen depletion in Chitkul led to the fish deaths. Why is the District Collector not taking strict actions against the industries responsible for this pollution? What measures should be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring?
All the lakes in Patancheru are filled with pollution. The industries around the area are responsible for this situation due to their pollution-causing activities. Although the government promises to completely relocate industries from the city, significant progress has not been made. If the situation is left as it is, environmentalists warn of the risk of even more severe conditions in the future. Therefore, buyers of plots and flats in the Patancheru area should carefully consider their decision, thinking twice before making any commitments.
It’s everyone’s responsibility!
– Rajeshwar Tiwari, (Retired IAS)
Lakes and ponds become polluted due to uncontrolled urban development. This situation arises when the process of treating waste water and sewage is not effectively carried out.
Some people dump solid waste and plastic waste into rivers and drains.
Lakes become polluted due to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste.
Cleaning polluted lakes is an expensive process. Therefore, local bodies need to focus more on this issue. Lakes should be cleaned in phases. A specific budget needs to be allocated for this purpose. Since the new municipal act allows for the expenditure of a Green Budget, a decision should be made to use this budget for the restoration of lakes.
There should be a campaign to raise awareness among the public about not polluting lakes.
The damage caused by lake pollution should be clearly communicated to the people.
Local bodies must strictly enforce regulations for the management of solid and liquid waste materials.
How to save water bodies…
The death of a tonne of fish in Patancheru’s lakes is a distressing event. The preliminary assessment suggests that the fish died due to a decrease in oxygen levels in the lake. However, cleaning polluted lakes is not a difficult task. Countries like Israel and Japan are already far ahead of us in this regard. Understanding this, officials should take proactive steps. In addition to solving the current problem, stringent measures should be implemented to prevent recurrence in the future. Initially, a lake in Hyderabad should be taken as a sample, cleaned, and showcased. Similarly, the remaining lakes should also be cleaned.
