Saturday, May 21, 2022

Malka Cheruvu to be new tourism hub in Hyderabad

By Sunny Baski

Published: Updated On - 12:17 AM, Mon - 19 April 21

Works going on at full swing at Malka Cheruvu in Raidurgam. They are expected to be completed in three months. —Photo: Tharun Adurugatla Spread over 50 acres, the lake is being developed with recreation facilities

Hyderabad: Hyderabad will soon get a new tourist destination with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) developing Malka Cheruvu in Raidurgam on the lines of popular Durgam Cheruvu.

Sprawling over 50 acres, Malka Cheruvu is being beautified as one of the best recreation facilities of the city and a speciality of the water body is that the vast expanse of it could be viewed completely from any chosen point of the lake.

According to the zonal officials of the civic body, top priority has been accorded to transform this water body as a major tourist destination in the western parts of the city. The works for Malka Cheruvu commenced in 2017 along with Durgam Cheruvu and is being developed in coordination with Aparna Infra Limited under their Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Once the development works here are completed, the lake is sure to draw visitors from all parts of the city. Since it is located on Mumbai old highway, it has the potential to gain prominence on Hyderabad tourism map,” said a senior official.

It was not an easy task for GHMC to develop this lake as a tourist attraction. In the past, the civic body had cleaned the lake of hyacinth and then constructed sedimentation points. Also, artificial ponds were built separately here for immersion of idols during Vinayak Chaturthi festivities every year.

Officials of GHMC Serilingampally zone said that fencing works around the lake were completed and the inlets and outlets of the water body have been improved. As part of works, the lake was also dug 6 feet so that water is clear and this itself had cost Rs 1 crore, said a senior official.

As part of the overall beautification initiative, a grand entrance is being constructed and works related to it were going on at a brisk pace. A peripheral walkway for 2 km and a cycling track is also being constructed.

“We have so far developed Malka Cheruvu with a cost of Rs 25 crore and all efforts are on to develop this lake on par with Durgam Cheruvu. If everything goes as per schedule, this water body will be ready for inauguration in next three months,” the official said.

The other components adorning the water body include LED lighting and aesthetically designed signboards. The GHMC is also taking up landscaping to add more charm and a proposal has been mooted for setting up an amphitheatre to screen laser shows for children.