Hyderabad Lakes Responsibility to be given to Real Estate Developers

The State government has recently announced that the responsibility of lake protection in the city will be handed over to the real estate companies developing ventures in the areas around the lakes concerned. In what is seen as a major shift in the government’s policy towards conservation of water bodies, lake development in the city will be integrated with the layout and building permissions henceforth to fix accountability, a statement from the HMDA informed. Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao has issued instructions to the MA&UD officials towards the same during a meeting, and said lakes should be protected as they are part of the heritage. Due to the heavy real estate development and dereliction of lakes, sewage is entering the water bodies, and to address this issue, the lake conservation, development and restoration responsibilities are being given to the developers, a statement from HMDA informed. This will be applicable to developers of layouts, multi-storeyed buildings, gated communities and commercial complexes within the GHMC and HMDA areas, it said. They should take up the responsibility of the water bodies existing in the area, and 500 metres of circumference around them. Assessment of the developers’ responsibility for lake protection will be done at the time of issuing permissions, and it will be applicable to all new ventures, the note said.