69% of lakes encroached, methodology still on holiday
HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath cited satellite imagery for the claim. The agency has not published the assessment needed to check it.
HYDRAA cited satellite imagery for its estimate, but has not published the assessment behind the figure.
HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath said nearly 69% of Hyderabad’s lakes had been encroached upon, citing satellite imagery. He made the statement on September 16 at a training programme for 117 Young Disaster Management Volunteers at HYDRAA’s Nagole centre. (New Indian Express)
The figure is a claim, not yet an independently verifiable finding. HYDRAA has not publicly released the assessment, the list of lakes, the geographic boundary used, the imagery dates, or its definition of “encroached”. It is also unclear whether 69% refers to the number of lakes, their area or affected boundaries. The agency’s official portal lists more than 2,150 acres reclaimed and over 250 lakes monitored, but does not publish the 69% figure or its methodology. (HYDRAA)
Related reports cite different measurements, including 61% of lake area lost and 75% shrinkage across a separate sample of 54 lakes. Those are not interchangeable with encroachment. Hyderabad is being asked to trust the percentage before being shown the arithmetic. The paperwork, unlike the lakes, remains submerged.