HYDRAA urges residents not to immerse Ganesh idols in Kapra Lake

HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath urged residents and Ganesh Utsav committees not to immerse idols in Kapra Lake, citing its ecological importance. The 113-acre lake is being developed for floodwater retention, groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and protection of bird habitats

Hyderabad: With three weeks remaining until Ganesh Chaturthi, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath urged residents and Ganesh Utsav committees not to immerse idols in Kapra Lake.

Ranganath, who visited the lake along with representatives of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi on Saturday, asked residents to use the adjacent ‘baby pond’ for the immersion of smaller idols and make alternative arrangements for larger ones.

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Kapra Lake has been earmarked by the Central government under an Environment Ministry initiative to revive and restore 100 distressed wetlands across India. The lake is recognised as a habitat for more than 470 migratory bird species arriving from regions including Australia and Europe, Ranganath said.

The lake is on the Central government’s list of urban wetlands, along with Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary and Pakhal Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.

HYDRAA is developing the 113-acre lake, with a focus on floodwater retention, groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and the preservation of bird habitats. Although about 70 per cent of the land within the lake area is privately owned patta land, the owners have agreed to cooperate with the development, Ranganath said.