Toxic foam in Hyberabad lakes continues

 Telangana | Written by : Suryaa Desk Updated: Sun, Jun 24, 2018, 10:37 AM

Residents in several areas in Cyberabad woke up to toxic foam on Saturday. Following Friday’s rain, water bodies including the IDL lake at Kukatpally, the outflow channel in Chakali cheruvu at Lingampally and the open drain near Hitec City MMTS station were spewing foam which began floating in the air and landing on commuters and passerby.


Most of these lakes had been identified last year by experts as being vulnerable. Mr Abbas Raj, a vendor at IDL lake, said, “On one side are the apartments and on the other side the foaming happens frequently. The issue needs to be addressed soon as the foam seems poisonous.”


Environmentalists said blatant lake encroachments and flow of sewerage into the lakes were posing a threat.  Lake protection expert B.V. Subba Rao said, “Every lake has lost its natural carrying capacity and is almost dead. Most of the lakes are foaming only at open drains.”


Among the lakes where foam formed on Saturday was Chakali cheruvu. “To repair this lake, the Gopi cheruvu has to be restored first,” Mr Subba Rao said.The Chakali cheruvu is among the 20 lakes identified for restoration, but not Gopi Cheruvu. The criterion for selection of a lake for restoration is not scientific.


“For Perki lake, the Suraram lake has to be restored. The upper lake has to be restored first. We need crisis management and an immediate action plan,” he said. Many lakes are contaminated by filamentous bacteria which is the primary reason behind the white coating of foam. He said foam and contamination in the Perki lake was flowing into Hussainsagar. “Further neglect may result in Hussainsagar becoming another Bellandur,” he said.