Hyderabad: Following chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao’s announcement to scrap the Government Order(GO) 111 on Tuesday, retired officials have raised concerns over the fate of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar due to the dense population within 10 kilometres of the twin reservoirs.
Approximately 1,32,000 acres encompassing 84 villages under various mandals including Shamshabad, Shabad, Rajendranagar, Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarapally, that boast of great real estate values due to their proximity to the IT corridor, are placed under GO 111 as of now.
The GO was issued on March 8 1996, to prohibit constructions such as residential complexes and other public spaces within the 10 kilometer radius of the twin reservoirs. These Ex bureaucrats fear that if the order is scrapped, these reservoirs will also be contaminated like the Hussain Sagar.
It is to be noted that the Osman Sagar and the Himayat Sagar remain major sources of drinking water for the twin cities. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) currently draw 30 million gallons of water from the two reservoirs on a daily basis.
They fear that the scrapping of the GO would lead to the construction of residential complexes in the vicinity of the reservoirs. The waste generated from these complexes could also be discharged into the twin water bodies.
“Bharat Ratna recipient Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya designed these reservoirs to deal with floods in Musi river and these later used as drinking water sources for the city. The government should drop the idea of scrapping the GO 111 “A retired official was quoted by the New Indian Express.
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