Urban lakes were a distinctive feature of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. These lakes and ponds in the Deccan plateau were formed over centuries. These water bodies served many purposes like:
Richness of bird life around these lakes is to be seen to be believed. We bring you few pictures taken over 10 days in January 2020 around Yapral lake.
You can see the rising pollution level in the lake over a short period of ten days. This pollution is caused by the discharge of sewage into the lake by the colonies situated around it. Most irresponsible act.
Will Yapral Lake be home to the birds in future also?
Let the pictures speak. Special thanks to Wing Cdr Yella Prakash Rao for spearheading a cleanliness drive and for sharing superb pictures.
You can hear the Teals while flying in a short video below. The ducks make a circuit and land after two minutes of flying!
More pictures follow.
How does a Coot preen itself? Almost blending with foliage, see the video of a Coot below.
We bring you more pictures of birds around Yapral lake.
While the spot-billed ducks are resident of Indian sub-continent, many other ducks migrate from colder regions of the world. One such migrant is the Northern Shoveller. See the make below who has come all the way from Europe. Thank God the birds are not governed by Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)!
See a Black-crowned Night Heron in the short video below. Please ignore the loud chatter of accompanying birders!
The birders also undertook cleaning of lake bund. Even small children joined in.
A joint cleaning drive was undertaken by Deccan Birders and residents of Swarnandhra and Prakrutik Vihar. A short video clip showing the voluntary effort:
We come back to the question- Will the Heron continue its dance in the next season?
We end with a picturesque quote on the importance of water.
Thanks for browsing. Help us save our environment. Raise your voice against pollution. Every person counts in this battle.
-Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Yella Prakash Rao/ 28th Jan 2020
#environment #pollution #savethelakes #water #birds #trees #plants #fish #encroachment #environmentalpreservation #ecowarriors #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh
- Natural water storage
- Home for water birds and fish alike
- Flood reservoirs
- Naturally controlled rain water flow and check dams
- Water for irrigation etc
Richness of bird life around these lakes is to be seen to be believed. We bring you few pictures taken over 10 days in January 2020 around Yapral lake.
You can see the rising pollution level in the lake over a short period of ten days. This pollution is caused by the discharge of sewage into the lake by the colonies situated around it. Most irresponsible act.
Will Yapral Lake be home to the birds in future also?
Let the pictures speak. Special thanks to Wing Cdr Yella Prakash Rao for spearheading a cleanliness drive and for sharing superb pictures.
You can hear the Teals while flying in a short video below. The ducks make a circuit and land after two minutes of flying!
How does a Coot preen itself? Almost blending with foliage, see the video of a Coot below.
We bring you more pictures of birds around Yapral lake.
A joint cleaning drive was undertaken by Deccan Birders and residents of Swarnandhra and Prakrutik Vihar. A short video clip showing the voluntary effort:
We come back to the question- Will the Heron continue its dance in the next season?
We end with a picturesque quote on the importance of water.
Thanks for browsing. Help us save our environment. Raise your voice against pollution. Every person counts in this battle.
-Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Yella Prakash Rao/ 28th Jan 2020
#environment #pollution #savethelakes #water #birds #trees #plants #fish #encroachment #environmentalpreservation #ecowarriors #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh
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ReplyDeleteGreat compilation sir.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the ones you have listed, I have seen great hornbills around the lake too.
Also some snakes like the spectacled cobra and chequered keelback esp after the monsoons.
Kudos to Swarnandhra residents esp the kids for taking the initiative to clean up the lake (all thanks to your inspiring leadership of course!)
Thanks much Jai. Yes, we forgot to mention the birds not in picture. Will do. Hope we get to do an outing together again 👍
DeleteWell documented
ReplyDeleteThanks much Sandhya.
DeleteThanks for the great effort by you all !
ReplyDeleteExcellent pictures.
Hope the Govt comes forward to preserve Yapral Lake and improve its surroundings.
Thanks much General. Let us all do our bit.
DeleteWonderful effort & compilation. Perhaps your society could take up with GHMC / KTR for preserving this water body as part of the KAkatiya project. BZ
ReplyDeleteThanks much For Lalit for your encouragement.
DeleteLover of nature shows the genuineness of an individual.Great going dear Harsh
ReplyDeleteThanks much Sir.
DeleteWhat a great story and a wonderful narration with splendid pictures. This should set an example and create just not awareness but a movement with passion across the region to begin with. It must get into the eyes and ears of the media.. I request each of the viers to share this further to other contacts , appropriate contacts of media. ..of course, with the kind permission of Harsh !
ReplyDeleteThanks much Vittal Garu. Readers are free to share the story. Every voice counts in such endeavours🙏
DeleteNicely captured photos & story Harsh, specially the Videos are wonderful. Missed you at Goa. Vinod
ReplyDeleteThanks much Vinod. I was in Jaipur.
DeleteAt the outset..let me congratulate you for the excellent story. This story will have a very sad end despite all the hope one can gather.
ReplyDeleteThe lake is a part of the irrigation chain of this area. It connects Shameerpet lake, kowkoor lake, Yapral lake and Kapra lake. The feeder channels have been systematically blocked by land sharks. The channel between Yapral lake and Kapra runs through Swanandhra Colony also, its alignment was tempered by the builder in the beginning itself by the diverying it to the back lane of the colony and constuctions undertaken ahead. This resulted in multiple floodings each time we had a little better rains.
The link between kowkoor and Yapral lake was further disrupted by dumping of wastes by land sharks and construction of multistorey buildings with no sustainable sewarage system in a high water table soil . With more and more communities mushrooming like fortune avenue, greenwood residency, greenwood heights, bright view and many other. Sone of them are also in the full tank level of the lake. The entire Yapral lake has become a sewage dumping lake. This has killed all the fishes and cause of algae in the water. The situation is alarming with no solution in sight. Fortune avenue area had one of the best collection of rare birds and reptiles residing there. They have all sadly vanished.
The present lake has shrunk with no hope of survival. How do revive the lake without having a sound system of sewarage disposal that does not contaminate the water. There is no visible intent on part of the authorities to stop this menace. With times the rains are going to flood all the colonies enroute with virtual human shit. The high water table will further add to the misery by contaminating the ground water.
The question is just not, 'if these birds will return', but also 'if we will be there to see these birds if they even come back'.
Thanks so much for voicing your concern Deepak. We hope every voice matters and the lake though shrunk, will continue to attract the birds.
Delete