Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday formally opened the Bum Rukh Ud Dhaula, a 256-year-old historic water body at Shivarampalli in Old Hyderabad, to the public after taking a trek to reclaim the lake in the evening on the same day.
The restoration was undertaken by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), a specialized agency set up by the state government to restore public lands and replenish Hyderabad’s rapidly shrinking water bodies in the city.
Inaugurating the lake sanctuary, designed with landscaped gardens and a Persian-style welcoming arch, the Prime Minister said the restored lakes should function not only as water storage systems but also as vibrant ecological and recreational spaces.
He proposed developing ‘night economy centres’ near these lakes by allocating shops exclusively to women’s self-help groups. As per the proposal, SHG members can operate these outlets till 1 am, creating safe public spaces while providing livelihood opportunities to women.
He said Hyderabad would lose its glory if the encroached lakes, ponds and parks were not restored. “We are working on restoring the historic lakes that were vulnerable to encroachment over the past several decades. We have already started the construction of the Sagar Ecological Conservation Park as part of providing a pollution-free environment,” he said.
What is Bom Rukn Oud Doula Lake?
According to Hyderabad-based heritage conservationist Muhammad Safiullah, the Bom-Rukn-Wad-Dhaula lake has a history dating back more than two centuries.
“The word ‘Bum’ means ‘spring’ or reservoir in Persian. The water body was built around 1770 during the reign of Nizam by Nawab Rukn al-Dawla, who served as Diwan (Prime Minister) during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II),” he said.
It originally extended over an area of more than 100 acres, and served as an important source of irrigation and drinking water for the royal families, along with the surrounding villages. The lake has gradually deteriorated over the decades due to urbanization, sewage flows and large-scale encroachments. Planning authorities later determined its area at about 17.05 acres, but illegal construction reduced the spread of water to only 4.12 acres, the environmental activist said.
“Even during the period of the last regime, Mir Osman Ali Khan, water from this lake was supplied to the royal family through sealed containers,” he said.
On instructions from the Revanth Reddy government last year, HYDRAA launched restoration work after removing encroachments from the lake’s full tank level (FTL) and buffer zones. Illegal structures occupying notified lands were removed during eviction drives carried out in August last year.
The renovation program included removing silt from the lake bottom, strengthening dams, improving water inlets and outlets, and developing the surrounding landscape. Public amenities such as walking trails, green spaces and recreational areas were created to transform the lake into a community asset.
“After the restoration work, the water spread has been significantly expanded. What was once a 4.12-acre cell basin has now been restored to about 17 acres, with improved storage capacity and better water circulation. The catchment area of the lake is spread over about 2.02 sq km, with a circumference of about 1,025 meters and a shoreline of about 928 metres,” Hydra Commissioner A V Ranganath said.
The revived lake will serve as a crucial structure to mitigate the effects of floods, officials said. Rainwater from Rajendranagar, Aramgarh and adjoining areas – covering a catchment of about 10 km – will be channeled into the lake, helping to reduce flood risks in the surrounding areas.
