No more cake cutting on Hyderabad’s Tank Bund; to attract penalties

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has placed around eight boards detailing the instructions, each around a hundred meters apart on the PVNR Marg

Hyderabad: The Tank Bund stretch teeming with birthday celebrations past 12 am is likely to quiet down soon with authorities putting an end to cake cutting near Hussain Sagar. In addition to this, measures are also being taken to prohibit littering.

Enforcing strict cleanliness regulations around the lake, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has placed around eight boards detailing the instructions, each around a hundred meters apart on the PVNR Marg.

---

In big red letters, “Cake cutting prohibited on Tank Bund. Do not litter here. Penalties will be imposed. You are under surveillance of CCTV cameras,” warn these sign boards attached to the lake’s railing. Around 300 CCTV cameras keep vigil around this most visited tourist spot in the city.

In addition to cake cutting and birthday celebrations – which in the past year has become a common practice for city youth – these signs also cautioned visitors against littering plastic wrappers or leaving behind unfinished cakes on the benches.

“This was a much-needed rule, especially considering the nuisance these people create. While making a mess is one of the reasons, they also disturb others around them with all the shouting and cake smashing,” says Dinesh Naik, who regularly visits the lake to unwind.

Multiple users of X (formerly Twitter) also welcomed the move. “One of the best decisions by GHMC. Appreciate #NoCakeCuttingOnTankBund,” wrote one user, while others demanded similar rules at other lakes.

Taking a cue from Hussain Sagar, multiple other spots became hubs for late-night birthday celebrations. The road leading up to Khajaguda Hills, the link road between HKC and Raidurg, and Nallagandla Flyover are just a few examples.

Although celebrations in public spaces are not generally frowned upon in the city, a line in the sand is necessary for those blocking the road creating traffic congestion and irresponsibly dumping trash.