HYDRAA Urges Residents Not to Immerse Ganesh Idols in Kapra Lake

Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) Commissioner AV Ranganath has urged residents and Ganesh Utsav committees not to immerse idols in Kapra Lake, citing the water body's critical ecological importance.

Ranganath inspected Kapra Lake on Saturday alongside representatives of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi. With three weeks remaining until the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, he advised local devotees and organizers to utilise the adjacent baby pond for immersing smaller idols and to arrange alternative locations for larger ones.

The 113-acre Kapra Lake has been earmarked under a Central Environment Ministry initiative that focuses on reviving and restoring 100 distressed wetlands across India. According to Ranganath, the lake serves as a vital habitat for more than 470 migratory bird species travelling from regions including Australia and Europe.

Kapra Lake features on the Central government's list of significant urban wetlands, alongside the Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary and the Pakhal Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.

HYDRAA is currently undertaking development and restoration work across the 113-acre expanse. The initiative is aimed at enhancing floodwater retention, facilitating groundwater recharge, supporting biodiversity conservation, and preserving essential habitats for bird populations.

Ranganath noted that although approximately 70 per cent of the land within the lake area comprises privately owned patta land, the property owners have agreed to cooperate with the agency's development and restoration efforts to safeguard the water body.