Secunderabad: Vectors breed in Ramannakunta lake, locals live in fear of diseases

SECUNDERABAD: Members of over 500 families living in half a dozen colonies around the century old Ramannakunta lake in Bowenpally are in the grip of viral fevers. They are worried that the lake has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and spending sleepless nights as water from the lake often enters their homes after a spell of heavy rain.
The worst-hit colonies are Sitarampur, Maruthi Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Srinivasanagar, Soujanya Colony and Bapuji Nagar.Manivannan, who lives close to the lake, said sewage from Sitarampur and Bapuji Nagar is let into the lake. “Whenever it rains heavily, the lake water enters our homes. The lake has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he said.
D Sridhar Kumar of Sitarampur said the Cantonment board authorities did not bother to clean the lake by removing hyacinth and trash and spraying anti-larval chemicals to kill mosquitoes. “Our complaints have fallen on the deaf ears of the authorities,” complained MR Shyamala of Soujanya Colony. She said they were spending Rs 1,000 a month on mosquito repellents and coils to prevent spread of viral fevers.
Bapuji Nagar faces heavy inundation as it is a low-lying locality. Sewage water from the lake floods the colony and homes, residents complain.
Ramannakunta lake, spread over seven acres, falls under A-1 category of lands which are under the purview of Local Military Authority and shares a boundary with GHMC limits. Drainage water from colonies upstream, located in GHMC areas, flow directly into the lake and pollute the lake.
When STOI contacted, SCB senior sanitary inspector M Devender said that in the wake of rising viral fevers and dengue cases, anti-larval operations have been intensified. “We are also releasing mosquito repellent granules into the lake to kill them at larva stage.” He said fogging in all the residential colonies abutting the lake have also been intensified.
Municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao, who had inspected the lake and its vicinity two years ago, stressed on the need to divert the sewage flow into the lake by laying an alternative pipeline.