Hyderabad: The historic Katora Houz has been cleaned by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Khairiatabad zone officials years after it was covered with heaps of garbage, polluting the lake shore and the area.
Built in the 16th century by Qutub Shahi rulers, Katora Houz was once used to be a major source of water for Golconda Fort.
However, hit by apathy over the decades, the water body turned into an open toxic tank with water hyacinth covering the complete lake.
After repeated representations, GHMC deployed a team of 18 personnel equipped with required machinery and within 10 days they removed the water hyacinth and fished out the garbage from the water body using an earthmover.
GHMC officials told that since the lake is free of water hyacinth and garbage, the mosquito menace here too will get checked.
Telangana Today quoted GHMC Chief Entomologist Ram Babu as saying “Anti larval Operations (ALOs) and measures to control the mosquito population are also being taken up at the water body.”
The tank was cleaned using a floating trash collector in the year 2021, but the water hyacinth returned to gradually cover the entire tank.
The civic body has also rejuvenated the Langar Houz Lake, and other water bodies like Shah Hatim Talab and another Qutub Shahi-era water body located in Khairiatabad zone are also undergoing the process of cleaning.
