Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy is set to inaugurate the revived Bathukamma Kunta on September 26. The lake, restored by the Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), is gearing up for festivities where women will immerse their flower arrangements as an offering to Goddess Gauri.

The lake, which was once spread across 14 acres, had shrunk to a mere 5.15 acres. Unlike most of the city’s degraded lakes, which had been weakened due to the dumping of garbage or sewage inflow, Bathukamma Kunta’s vanishing was mainly due to encroachments.

However, in February this year, excavations by HYDRAA struck water a few feet below the surface, prompting further work to assess and restore the site.

The project is now being hailed as a ‘national model for lake conservation’, which not only has an aesthetic appeal but also mitigates flood risk for the surrounding homes.