Osman Sagar lake at full capacity draws Hyderabad visitors

Osman Sagar, popularly Gandipet Lake, is full after recent rains, drawing thousands of visitors on weekends. The 18-acre landscape park, with gardens, art pavilions, and picnic spaces, offers scenic views, sunset vistas, and a tranquil getaway for Hyderabadis

Hyderabad: With recent rains bringing in copious inflows, Osman Sagar Lake, more popular as Gandipet lake, is at a brim and attracting crowds with the visitors numbers swelling on the weekends.

Located 20 km west of Hyderabad and a popular picnic destination for several decades, Gandipet is now back as a scenic retreat for the Hyderabadis. Given its location just on the suburbs, the drive to here is short from the city and offers a perfect getaway from the city buzz. It is a preferred spot for those who are not really keen on a long drive to a far off water body to spend some leisure time.

Families and groups of friends are flocking to the area to enjoy the lush surroundings and cool breeze. Eager visitors also capture photographs and spend long time for selfies and videos along the lakeside.

Osman Sagar’s reputation as one of the finest picnic spots around Hyderabad is also due to its sunset views, pleasant strolling areas, and landscaped gardens. Visitors find a tranquil setting with an extensive stretch of calm water shimmering golden under the sunset. The cool breeze and soothing ambience contribute to the serene environment.

A sprawling 18-acre landscape park is an added attraction with its colourful flora, vegetation, and trees. The park was inaugurated in 2022 by the then MA&UD minister, KT Rama Rao, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Osman Sagar reservoir.

Featuring an entrance plaza, two art pavilions, a flower terrace, picnic spaces, and other lush green landscapes, the park offers a picturesque setting for visitors.

For the past few weeks, the area has been crowded with streaming visitors, mainly during the weekend. According to HMWSSB officials, nearly 50,000 to 1 lakh visitors come down to Gandipet, particularly when the reservoir is filled.

“However, visitors are now restricted to the bund portion of the lake. The main entrance has been shut and locked. Visitors can view the lake’s beauty from the highest viewpoint and are allowed to take photographs,” a senior HMWSSB official told ‘Telangana Today’.

HMWSSB is charging Rs 50 per adult and Rs 20 per child and visitors can visit the Gandipet Landscape park between 7 am and 7.30 pm.