HMDA delays final FTL notification for Hyderabad lakes

HYDERABAD: The process of notifying the Full Tank Level (FTL) limits of lakes under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is moving at a sluggish pace. Officials are reportedly acting only when directed by the courts, with little internal initiative.

Of the 3,532 lakes identified within and around the Outer Ring Road, final FTL and buffer zone notifications have been issued for barely half, though the exercise began nearly 20 years ago.

Delays blamed on lack of coordination across districts

The HMDA oversees the process, but actual FTL marking is handled by the irrigation and local revenue departments. Officials say coordination from the mandal-level staff across the seven districts in the metropolitan region has been inconsistent. Field teams remain preoccupied with other government programmes, leaving little attention for lake protection.

Encroachments rise as FTL work lags

With land demand high around Hyderabad, several lake beds have been encroached upon, and reports suggest that ventures have even been laid within FTL limits. According to official estimates, about 60% of lakes already face some degree of encroachment.

Environmentalists have urged the government to expedite the FTL demarcation on a war footing to prevent further land grabs and to protect the city’s water bodies.