Amberpet's Bathukamma Kunta Restored to Celebrate Navaratri

In the lead-up to the ongoing Bathukamma festival and Dussehra Navaratri celebrations, the restored Bathukamma Kunta lake in Amberpet, near Osmania University, is set to be relaunched by the Chief Minister on Friday.

The lake, which takes its name from the Bathukamma festival where women immerse their flower arrangements as an offering to Goddess Durga, has undergone a major restoration drive by the HYDRAA authorities. Last November, they cleared debris, excavated, and restored the water flow, expanding the lake to 4.7 acres with a storage capacity of 23.8 million litres. The surroundings have also been beautified to accommodate the festival crowds.

According to heritage conservationists, Bathukamma Kunta was one of the oldest lakes in the city, dating back to the Nizam era. However, over the years, the lake had been reduced to just 5.5 acres due to encroachments and illegal constructions. The state government has been fighting a legal battle to reclaim the land and restore the lake, which is now being hailed as a 'national model for lake conservation'.