Untreated waste killing 416 lakes in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has identified 416 lakes as polluted and found that the major cause of their pollution is untreated sewage, municipal waste, including plastic, and construction waste being discharged into these.

Also, the State generates 2,453 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage but has the capacity to treat only 858 MLD at its sewage treatment plants (STPs). The government has provided this data to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which had sought a nationwide report on the same.

The Board would submit the report to the National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench), which is hearing a case on the identification, protection and restoration of water bodies across the country. The case was filed by Lt. Col. Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi regarding water bodies in Haryana but the NGT has extended it to the entire country and sought State-wise details from CPCB.

According to the report, the State government has taken up restoration works in 279 of the 416 polluted lakes under Mission Kakatiya. Also, the construction of 98 STPs, with a total capacity of 1,629.4 MLD, has been envisaged to bridge the gap of 1,595 MLD between the sewage generated and treated. This would require Rs 6,994 crore.

27,625 water bodies to be restored: Telangana informs CPCB

Telangana generates 8,993 TPD (tonnes per day) of solid waste and the gap between the generated and treated waste is 2,493 TPD. The government has identified 46,531 ponds and lakes, and sanctioned the restoration of 27,625 water bodies under Mission Kakatiya programme, it informed the CPCB. So far, restoration work has been completed in 21,436 water bodies and is underway in 6,195.

The government also informed that 44,672 water bodies had been geo-tagged and approved, 1,240 were geo-tagged and awaiting approval, and the remaining were yet to be geo-tagged. Of the 25 States and six Union Territories that have submitted their reports to the CPCB, the total identified water bodies across India, including lakes, ponds and tanks, are 4,13,911.

Of these, 1,32,080 have been selected for restoration and 40,543 are currently being restored. The CPCB pointed out that Telangana should focus on the biodiversity aspect and that the government has identified the water bodies from an irrigation perspective.

It has recommended all States to test the water quality of all water bodies for prioritisation and restoration, pool all water quality data on the India-WRIS portal, designate a single agency for the restoration of polluted water bodies - like the State Wetland Authority - and integrate all the Central government programmes on the restoration of water bodies.