Context
After the decision made by Telangana government for withdrawing an over 25-year-old government order protecting the historic Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs in Hyderabad, the environmentalists and activists are criticizing the decision.
What is ‘Government Order (GO) 111’?
- On March 8, 1996, the government of erstwhile (undivided) Andhra Pradesh had issued ‘Government Order (GO) 111’.
- The order prohibited development or construction works in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar lakes up to a radius of 10 km.
- The GO prohibited the setting up of industries, residential colonies, hotels, etc. which cause pollution.
- The total catchment area covers around 1.30 lakh acres, spread over 84 villages.
- The aim of the restrictions was to protect the catchment area, and to keep the reservoirs pollution-free.
- The lakes had been supplying water to Hyderabad for nearly 70 years, and were the main source of drinking water for the city at the time.
About the Reservoirs
- The reservoirs were created by building dams on the Musi (also known as Moosa or Muchkunda) river, a major tributary of the Krishna, to protect Hyderabad from floods.
- The proposal to build the dams came after a major flood during the reign of the sixth nizam Mahbub Ali Khan (1869-1911) in 1908, in which more than 15,000 people were killed.
- The lakes came into being during the reign of the last nizam, Osman Ali Khan (1911-48).
- Osman Sagar was completed in 1921, and Himayat Sagar in 1927.
- The nizam’s guesthouse at Osman Sagar is now a heritage building.
