Hussainsagar is a heritage monument. It was ordered to be dug by the third Qutb Shahi king, Quli Qutb Shah 450 years ago in 1562.
Hyderabad: A project has been undertaken to rejuvenate the historic and scenic water reservoir Hussainsagar here. Under the Rs. 75 crore project, the lake would be first emptied, then left to dry under the summer sun. Following this, earthmovers will be deployed to remove 40 lakh tons of silt. It will then be readied for receiving freshwater during monsoons.
Hussainsagar is a heritage monument. It was ordered to be dug by the third Qutb Shahi king, Quli Qutb Shah 450 years ago in 1562 with the twin objective of providing work and wages to workers affected by famine and also to solve the drinking water problem for the residents of Hyderabad. It was planned by architect Hazrath Hussain Shah Wali.
The dewatering operations will involve seven 1800 HP pumps to take out 400 cusecs of water which is currently highly polluted.
The lake was serving the purpose of supplying drinking water to the people of Hyderabad till 18th century. But gradually it became a dumping yard for debris. Thousands of idols started to be immersed during Ganesha festival around August. Water turned poisonous. The city sprawled on all the four sides of the 5.7 sq. kilometer lake. Former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao installed a giant Buddha statue in the middle of the lake and a series of other statutes on the road that has come to be known as necklace road.
The project has been assigned to the Irrigation Department of the Government of Telengana by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
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