Mushrooming fish ponds in Singur FTL lands pollutes Manjeera water

Alleged encroachments and illegal fish ponds along the Singur reservoir have raised concerns about drinking water quality. Former Andole MLA Chanti Kranthi Kiran demanded a government inquiry, alleging official inaction and seeking action against those responsible.

Sangareddy: River Manjeera water is known for its taste and softness over the years. It is a major source of drinking water for Hyderabad, erstwhile Medak and erstwhile Nizamabad districts for decades.

However, the activities along the Singur shores left the people in a shock as it raised several questions over the purity of drinking water being supplied from Singur. Encroachers had dug multiple fishponds along the Singur Multipurpose project on the reservoir’s shores, illegally occupying the FTL lands.

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Moreover, the encroachers, who were raising the fish, were feeding the fish chicken waste, spoiled eggs and other harmful foods to fish which were also getting into the reservoir. The same water is being supplied to the State capital and Medak and districts through Manjeera pipelines and Mission Bagiratha.

Further exploiting the water resources, these persons were pumping water from the Singur project into these ponds. Apart from that, they were also using the free electricity connecting the pumps from the local lines without obtaining any permissions.

The Transco, Irrigation, Revenue, Police and other concerned department officials are least bothered even as encroachers dug multiple ponds in Andole, Vatpally, Manoor, Raikode and Nyalkal mandals, which were located around Singur project. All these mandals fall under Andole assembly constituency, which is being represented by Damodara Rajanarasimha.

The persons engaged in pisciculture reportedly collect chicken waste from Hyderabad, other nearby towns in Telangana and Bidar in neighbouring Karnataka, to feed the fish.

Former Andole MLA Chanti Kranthi Kiran accused the encroachers of digging the ponds with the support of Health Minister and Andole MLA Damodara Rajanaraismha. He further said that the officials were also supporting the encroachers as the activity was going unabated. Kranthi Kiran demanded the State government to order a probe into the entire episode and take stern action against the culprits besides demolishing the lakes.