Hyderabad: Intensifying its efforts to conserve the Hussain Sagar lake, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is working on installing a floating boom barrier at the Picket nala to arrest flow of floating trash into the lake. To do the same, the HMDA signed an tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WRI India (research organization) and DESMI, Denmarks oldest company, which specialises in the development, manufacture, sale and service of environmental equipment for oil spill, seaweed.
With the MoU, the HMDA hopes to clean floating solid waste from the Hussan Sagar. It will “Install a boom barrier automated riser system for cleaning-up floating solid wastes from Picket drain near Hussain Sagar (KIMS pond area) as a pilot demonstration project,” Wrote, Principal Secretary, Arvind Kumar said in a tweet.
The idea is to arrest the entry of floating waste into the Hussainsagar lake. The boom barrier will be partially floating on the water surface and beneath as well. It will be installed at a strategic location to stop the floating material and later the accumulated waste will be collected and dumped into dumper bins through an automatic conveyor belt. The exercise of clearing the accumulated waste will be taken up every two to three days.
For the removal of floating material and shoreline cleaning across the lake’s 13 kilometre shoreline, the water body has been divided into six sectors in order to enhance level of cleaning and to have controlling, monitoring and accountability. Currently, removal of floating material in the middle of the lake is being done through floating trash collectors.
Treatment of inflows into the Hussain Sagar is currently being done in two ways, according to the HMDA. Under I&D’s (Interception and Diversion Structures), all sewage and effluents coming from four Nalas are stopped by I&D structures and are diverted through big sewer lines. There are seven I&Ds constructed at various places on Nalas or sewers. The second method comprises using Sewerage Treatment Plants.