Hyderabad Lake Beautification Gains Pace as Hydra Opens Two Restored Lakes
- Hyderabad lake beautification project moves forward with two restored lakes.
- Hydra restores historic lakes after removing encroachments in the city.
- Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to inaugurate newly developed lakes.
Efforts to revive Hyderabad’s neglected lakes are gathering momentum as the Hydra agency continues its large scale lake beautification drive across the city. Two restored lakes are now ready to welcome visitors, marking another step in the ongoing urban restoration initiative.
The historic Bum Rukh Ud Daula lake in the Old City has been completely revived and will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Another restored water body, Nallacheruvu in Kukatpally, is also set to open for the public shortly. Both lakes were once heavily encroached and had nearly disappeared from the city landscape.
Hydra officials say the restoration of Bum Rukh Ud Daula lake was particularly challenging. The lake, which dates back to the era of the third Nizam Sikandar Jah and was developed by Nawab Rukh Ud Daula, had almost lost its identity over time due to illegal dumping of construction waste and encroachments. Hydra stepped in and cleared the area, identifying that only a small portion of the original lake remained. After removing encroachments, development work was taken up across nearly eighteen acres.
With an investment of about nineteen crore rupees, the lake has been transformed into a public recreational space. Facilities such as walking tracks, a gym area, a children’s play zone, seating spaces and multiple entry points have been created to provide residents with a peaceful environment.
Another major restoration project is the Nallacheruvu lake in Kukatpally. Spread across nearly thirty acres, this lake had also fallen into the grip of encroachers. Hydra conducted drone surveys and used satellite mapping along with official land records to identify illegal constructions. Nearly sixteen acres of encroached land were reclaimed before development work began.
The lake has now been redesigned at a cost of around twenty crore rupees with improved water flow systems to prevent flooding in surrounding areas. Measures have also been introduced to ensure that polluted water does not enter the lake.
The lake restoration program is part of the government’s larger plan to improve environmental spaces in Hyderabad, a city that has increasingly turned into a concrete urban landscape. Authorities say the goal is not just temporary beautification but long term ecological restoration and public access.
As part of the first phase of the project, Hydra has already revived several lakes including Bathukamma Kunta in Amberpet. With two more lakes now opening to the public and additional projects underway, the initiative aims to bring many more water bodies in Hyderabad back to life.
