The strategy papers of various related Government Departments, discussions with key officials in the departments, discussion with academicians, subject experts, other Water mentors, learnings from district vision collection workshops, secondary references, selected field visit and the consultant’s earlier experiences forms the basis of this paper. The Water Conservation Mission of Andhra Pradesh, in the process of developing the Water Vision of AP, has realized the importance of giving due weightage to the environmental and ecological concerns and needs, which then forms the foundation of the natural sustainability process. The paper argues that in this process of loss of water bodies in Hyderabad, the State is as much responsible as private agencies in terms of the policies that it has formulated and the lack of ensuring legislation and implementation. The State has not bothered to either implement the existing laws or pay attention to the suggestions of environmental organizations in this regard. Further, the severity of flooding that was witnessed in August 2000 was also due to a reduction in the carrying capacity of lakes and water channels. The adverse consequences of the loss of water bodies are felt in the steep decline in water table and the resultant water crisis in several areas. This study makes an attempt to analyse the transformation of common property resources (the lakes) into private property. Many have been shrunk in size while the waters of several lakes got polluted with the discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents.
With the increasing control of the State and private agencies over the years, and rapid urban sprawl of the city, many of the water bodies have been totally lost.
Being located in the Deccan Plateau region, Hyderabad city has been dotted with a number of lakes, which formed very important component of its physical environment.
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