HYDRAA steps up desilting of IDL Lake ahead of Ganesh immersion

Desilting work at Rangadhamuni Cheruvu, or IDL Lake, in Kukatpally is underway ahead of Ganesh idol immersion on September 25. HYDRAA has been tasked with removing more than 20 feet of accumulated silt, waste and PoP from the lake

Hyderabad: Rangadhamuni Cheruvu, also known as IDL Lake, in Kukatpally is being readied for Ganesh idol immersion scheduled to be held in the city on September 25. The decades-old lake falls within the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) limits.

Desilting work at the lake is progressing rapidly, with workers and machinery removing more than 20 feet of accumulated waste, silt, plastic and Plaster of Paris (PoP) from the lake bed. Large quantities of sewage debris, plastic, Plaster of Paris, coconut fibre and garbage have surfaced during excavation.

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The accumulated pollutants had prevented water from percolating into the ground, making their removal and transportation a major challenge, according to officials. Decades of undissolved Plaster of Paris waste, primarily composed of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, have settled at the bottom of Rangadhamuni Lake, worsening pollution and severely hindering groundwater recharge.

A CMC official told ‘Telangana Today’ that the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has been entrusted with urgent desilting work to address the issues at the lake.

“Earth movers are now working around the clock to remove tonnes of accumulated silt across the sprawling 72-acre lake to ensure a smooth and safe environment for the upcoming immersion of thousands of Ganesh idols,” the official said.