Hyderabad: AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi on Saturday urged the state government on Saturday to delegate the restoration of lakes to the Minor Irrigation Department so that they can be managed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
Owaisi stated that lakes and tanks under the control of the GHMC and HMDA were omitted from the Mission Kakatiya programme as a result of which they were not repaired and the majority of them were on the edge of extinction. “It would be better if it were given to the Minor Irrigation department, which could easily handle the cost of restoration, as GHMC and HMDA did not have the resources to restore or rejuvenate lakes,” he added.
He said that 857 lakes and 187 lakes, respectively, fell under the purview of HMDA and GHMC, and that some of these lakes and tanks need urgent restoration. He claimed that because many of the lakes were silt-filled when it rained, the water would overflow into the city, creating flooding and inundation.
“Water will not flow into the city after rain if such lakes are rebuilt. We can prevent flooding in our low-lying areas, he stated.
Owaisi advised the state administration to conduct an all-party meeting to examine issues relating to the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and other projects undertaken by AP on Krishna River after expressing worry over Andhra Pradesh building irrigation projects on the river.
He urged that the Arogyasri plan and the Ayushman Bharat programme of the Central government not be combined because the state programme was more beneficial to the underprivileged. Additionally, he requested that special monies for upgrades be made available to NIMS and other significant state-run institutions.
