Hyderabad: After years of encroachment and negligence, the historic Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla lake at Shivarampally is being rejuvenated by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA). The lake, which was once a main drinking water source for the Nizams, was heavily encroached over the years and is now getting its life back.
Officials stated that the Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla lake is spread over a span of 18.575 acres within its FTL area, while the water spread is around 8.915 acres. HYDRAA authorities are digging up the lake’s area, and are setting up plans to rejuvenate the entire span of the lake.
The lake carries history all the way back to the 1700s. In a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), officials stated that the drinking water lake was constructed in 1770 by Nawab Rukn-ud-Daula, who was the Prime Minister of Sikandar Jah, the 3rd Nizam of Hyderabad. Historians also claimed that the Nizams only drank water from Bum-Rukn-ud-Dowla.
But over the years, the historic lake was subjected to encroachments by people, and negligence from civic bodies. Private parties dried up the lake, removed the FTL stones, dumped construction debris and silt into the lake and heavily altered the lake’s FTL.
Furthermore, the lake has no natural inlets, and the sewage from residential areas around the lake was being dumped into the lake, further straining the lake’s condition.
On August 10 2024, HYDRAA demolished under-construction buildings within the FTL and buffer zone of the lake, kicking off its demolition spree. Now, under its pilot project of lake rejuvenation plans, the HYDRAA is set to revamp the historic lake.
“We are currently digging up the lake’s entire area using JCBs and power tools. Since the lake does not have a natural inlet, it will be filled with rainwater in this monsoon season, and after that we will initiate the development works around the lake”, said a HYDRAA official.
“We are ramping up our work as the monsoon is coming up. Our primary goal is to revive the lakes and water bodies in the city. Under our project, we will complete the revival and protection of six lakes around Hyderabad. Once that is done, we will pick up more lakes and will revive those water bodies as well”, the official added.