HYDERABAD: As Moosa Kunta and Gosai Kunta lakes in Gachibowli continue to shrink under mounds of debris and rampant encroachments, a group of concerned citizens has stepped up to protect what’s left of them. Calling themselves the ‘Hyderabad Greenies’, the resident-led group is now demanding formal recognition of the lakes by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), hoping that official conservation efforts will follow. For several months, residents have watched helplessly as the once-thriving water bodies deteriorated. Construction waste is being dumped unchecked, and lake beds are being slowly taken over, they allege. Despite filing complaints with various departments, including revenue, irrigation and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), no concrete action has been taken. “The Gosai Kunta lake has almost disappeared. It’s now barely six acres due to heavy encroachment of its buffer zone,” said Nagam Raghuma Reddy, president of the My Home Vihanga RWA.“The bigger problem with Moosa Kunta is that it isn’t even listed in the HMDA’s official lake registry. That technicality has become a convenient loophole as every department washes its hands off, claiming it’s not under their jurisdiction,” he added.Echoing the concern, Vishwanath, president of TNGO Colony RWA, said, “We’ve filed complaints, tagged officials on social media, and even organised clean-up drives. But unless HMDA recognises the lake, no govt agency is willing to step in.” According to environmentalists, Moosa Kunta has shrunk drastically from over 20 acres just five years ago to about nine acres today.Long-time lake activist Lubna Sarwath pointed out the systemic neglect of the lake system in the area. “The upstream lakes – Peacock Lake and Buffalo Lake – inside the University of Hyderabad, once fed Moosa Kunta through a network of nalas. But those connections are now heavily encroached. I’ve been raising this issue since 2014, but my requests for lake recognition were ignored,” she said. Over the past year, the ‘Hyderabad Greenies’ have conducted several clean-up drives, manually removing waste and attempting to prevent further dumping. But they acknowledge that their efforts alone aren’t enough. “We’re doing all we can, but this is beyond citizen capacity. What we’re dealing with are structural issues requiring government intervention,” said Samyukta Pillay, one of the group’s core members.“Given that these lakes are in a densely populated urban pocket, their loss could mean serious ecological damage – reduced groundwater recharge and increased risk of urban flooding.”The GHMC has stated that unless a lake is officially recognised, their hands are tied. However, officials have promised to “look into the matter.” “We are now urging HMDA and GHMC to formally recognise Moosa Kunta and Gosai Kunta as protected lakes,” said Sandeep Pillay, another member of the group. “Only then can real conservation efforts begin.”
