Facility revamp: Boating on the cards at Katora Houz
HYDERABAD: Boating is on the cards for people visiting Golconda, as the government is planning to introduce the facility in Katora Houz. Pedal boats and rowing boats will be among the attractions.
“We are not opting for engine boats due to shallow water. So far, we have ordered four-pedal boats and four rowing boats,” said B Manohar, managing director of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC). The damaged bore wells inside Katora Houz are being repaired to draw water for boating. Pool up to four feet will be filled. Now, the water is not even one foot.
The water body suffers due to sewage discharge. To end this menace, the tourism department and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Archaeological Survey of India are diverting pipelines and working for lake beautification. A platform to serve as a viewpoint is also being built.
Together, the civic body and the irrigation department have diverted 49 sewage lines due to which the lake was getting polluted. “Earlier, the water used to accumulate in the lake and then pass through the outlet. But now we have directly attached the sewage lines to the outlet. A walking ramp will be built. Desilting has been done, and water hyacinth is being removed,”
Said Mohd Naseeruddin, Nanal Nagar corporator from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. The steps of the lake are also being renovated. There were many sinkholes inside Katora Houz. The authorities are now filling the sinkholes with mud. The 450-year-old cup-shaped water tank, constructed inside fortified walls of Golconda Fort, has been neglected for decades.
