HYDRAA plans survey and restoration of Fox Sagar Lake in Hyderabad

HYDRAA plans to survey the Full Tank Level (FTL) boundary of Fox Sagar Lake, also known as Jeedimetla Cheruvu, and remove encroachments before undertaking restoration work. The lake is in the Medchal–Malkajgiri district near Hyderabad.

The 2014 joint survey by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and the Irrigation Department set the FTL area at 482.24 acres. A recent survey identified more than 150 acres of alleged encroachments within the FTL area. HYDRAA has announced a modernisation project costing ₹189 crore.

HYDRAA has said it will not target structures built before 2014. The planned action includes a joint survey to mark the boundary. The report also describes earlier demolitions of a cement road and a farmhouse near the lake.

Notable Points

• Fox Sagar Lake: historical links and structures: Built in 1897 by Mahbub Ali Khan (Asaf Jah VI), Fox Sagar was a major drinking-water source for Secunderabad. A tributary of the Musi once linked it to Hussain Sagar, and a stone pump-house structure survives on its shore.