Fish Die in Durgam Cheruvu Due to Polluted Water, Fishermen Seek ₹20 Lakh Compensation

Large quantities of fish have died in Durgam Cheruvu in Jubilee Hills after polluted water containing chemical and industrial waste entered the lake, Neelam Surender, president of the Raidurgam Fishermen Society, confirmed on Sunday.

Local fishermen reported that fish worth lakhs of rupees were lost, leaving several families dependent on fishing in financial distress. Surender and members of the community inspected the water body and noted that varieties such as rohu, catla, and murrel, which had grown to between one and three kilograms, were wiped out just ahead of harvest scheduled for next month.

Surender alleged that untreated wastewater and industrial effluents flowed into the lake from surrounding areas, causing the mass mortality. He demanded ₹20 lakh in compensation for the affected fishing families and urged the state government to provide insurance coverage for fish stocks lost to pollution and natural calamities.

According to the fishermen's society, existing sewage treatment plants around Durgam Cheruvu lack the capacity to manage the volume of wastewater entering the water body. Surender called on the government to increase the treatment capacity by 1.5 crore litres and take strict measures to prevent sewage and industrial waste from discharging into the lake.

He sought coordinated action among the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, and the irrigation department to protect the lake ecosystem and halt further contamination. Surender warned that the fishing community would mobilise and intensify protests if immediate action and compensation are not provided.