A more than a century-old lake located in the heart of Hyderabad, which was subjected to large-scale encroachments and abandoned as a garbage dump over the years, has now come alive again, thanks to the restoration done by Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA).
The restored lake – Bathukamma Kunta – located at Amberpet area close to Osmania University, will be relaunched by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday, on the occasion of ongoing Bathukamma festival coinciding with the Dussehra Navaratri celebrations.
“The lake, in fact, takes its name from Bathukamma festival where women will immerse their flower arrangements as an offering to Goddess Durga,” HYDRAA commissioner A V Ranganath said.
In November 2024, the HYDRAA authorities took up a major restoration drive, clearing debris, excavating, and restoring water flow. The lake now spans 4.7 acres with a storage capacity of 23.8 million litres, equipped with inlets, waste weirs, and drainage channels for better water management. The surroundings have also been beautified to accommodate festival crowds.
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According to heritage conservationists, Bathukamma Kunta was one of the oldest lakes in the city. “Though it is not exactly known when the lake came into existence, it was built in the Hyderabad state ruled by the Nizams, who developed many other lakes in the city,” said Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (INTACH), Hyderabad chapter convenor Anuradha Reddy.
As per official records, Bathukamma Kunta was spread over 27 acres. “I was told the water from the lake was supplied even to the Osmania University nearby. In my childhood, too, I remember seeing it as a big lake,” Anuradha Reddy said.
According to HYDRAA authorities, the lake has now been reduced to around 5.5 acres due to massive encroachments and illegal constructions by land sharks. “Over the years, the lake completely turned into a plain land surrounded by thick bushes and shrubs, and a virtual garbage dump yard emanating foul smell,” Ranganath said.
As the real estate activity picked up in the area over the years, there were attempts to claim Bathukamma Kunta as private land. The state government has been fighting a legal battle with some individuals who claimed the land as their own. The case is still pending in the high court, which, however, gave the green signal to the state government to restore the lake, a HYDRAA official familiar with the matter said.
“The project is now being hailed as a ‘national model for lake conservation’, which not only has an aesthetic appeal but also mitigates flood risk for the surrounding homes,” Ranganath added.
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