Kapra Lake - Shrinkage, Encroachment, Preservation Efforts

By Seven Oaks -

Here’s what is actually known from published records about Kapra Lake (Kapra Cheruvu / Oora Cheruvu). 

Kapra Lake Hyderabad at Shaun Dorsey blog

1. Basic identity and location

  • Names: Kapra Lake, Kapra Cheruvu, Kapra Pedda Cheruvu, also called Oora Cheruvu in some sources. (Wikipedia)

  • Location: Kapra village / Kapra mandal, near Sainikpuri in the north-eastern part of Greater Hyderabad (Secunderabad side), in Medchal–Malkajgiri district, Telangana. (Wikipedia)

  • Type: Classified in official and encyclopedic sources as a restored tank / natural lake that is part of a chain of interconnected lakes (Ramakrishnapuram / Banda Cheruvu → Kapra → Annarayana Cheruvu → Yadi Bai Gunta, etc.). (Wikipedia)

Who made it & when?

  • Revenue and planning documents call it a “restored tank” but do not clearly record:

    • the original builder,

    • the exact period of construction.

  • Given the age of surrounding irrigation tanks in the Deccan, it is likely pre-modern (mayeb from Nizam era, Quli Qutub Shah era, or even earlier), but no specific dynasty, ruler, or year is reliably documented in the open sources.

2. Historical use

  • Official district and planning documents say Kapra Lake historically served as an irrigation tank and later became a key local water body for the north-eastern suburbs. (msmedihyderabad.gov.in)

  • Multiple reports describe it as a major source of drinking water for the Secunderabad Cantonment area in the past. (The Hans India)

3. Original size vs. current size (shrinkage)

Original recorded extent

Different sources use slightly different numbers but are consistent within a narrow band:

  • Revenue / planning record (Sainikpuri article):
    “Kapra Pedda Cheruvu” recorded spread = 112 acres and 7 guntas (≈ 44.87 ha). (Wikipedia)

  • Hydrology / encyclopedic sources (Wikipedia, media):
    Area = 113 acres. (Wikipedia)

  • Social and citizen documentation also repeatedly refer to 112–113 acres as the historic spread. (trippingonmoonshine.blogspot.com)

So for practical purposes:

Original size (20th-century revenue records / early 2000s): about 112–113 acres.

Present size

Most recent government and media reports converge on:

  • Current water-spread / recognized lake area ≈ 70 acres. (Wikipedia)

Some citizen documents say 79 acres, but more recent official/press material states 70 acres, so that is the more reliable current figure. (trippingonmoonshine.blogspot.com)

Degree of shrinkage

  • From ~112–113 acres to ~70 acres means a loss of roughly 40–43 acres of lake area — mainly attributed to encroachments, narrowed bunds, and dumping / infill. (Wikipedia)

4. Physical & technical details from official records

From measurements recorded under the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act (AP WALTA), 2002 for Kapra Lake (done in 2005): (Wikipedia)

  • Recorded spread: 112 acres 7 guntas (44.87 ha).

  • Sill Level (SL) of sluice: +547.873 m.

  • Full Tank Level (FTL): +550.854 m.

  • Maximum Water Level (MWL): +551.614 m.

  • Tank Bund Level (TBL): +553.584 m.

  • Bund length: 1,254 m.

  • Hydraulic system: 2 feeder channels, 2 sluices, 2 surplus courses; part of a chain of lakes.

5. Degradation and pollution – factual record

From early 2000s onward, the documentation shows a clear decline:

  • Early 2000s: Described as “pristine and pollution free.” (Wikipedia)

  • By 2012: GHMC marked it as polluted and vulnerable to encroachments. (Wikipedia)

  • Encroachments:

    • GHMC listed 25 structures as encroachments, including a Sri Venkateshwara temple on the lake bed / FTL. (Wikipedia)

    • Of 50 FTL (Full Tank Level) pillars installed to mark the legal boundary, 13 were reported removed/disturbed by encroachers. (Wikipedia)

  • Pollution sources documented:

    • Sewage inflow from surrounding colonies. (Search for Water!)

    • Dumping of garbage, construction debris, religious offerings, and idol immersion waste. (Search for Water!)

  • Current ecological status (recent reports):

    • Media describe it as “nearly dry” at times, heavily polluted, and eutrophic, with water hyacinth and loss of biodiversity. (The Hans India)

6. Preservation & restoration efforts (government + community)

Government / institutional measures

  1. Lake Protection Committee & HMDA framework

    • Kapra Lake falls under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) lake jurisdiction; a Lake Protection Committee was constituted for all HMDA lakes. (HMDA)

    • Audit of lake protection in Hyderabad notes major under-spending on lake conservation between 2013–2018, including for Kapra. (Comptroller and Auditor General of India)

  2. AP WALTA (2002) demarcation (2005)

    • SL, FTL, MWL, TBL, and FTL pillars for Kapra Lake were formally fixed under AP WALTA in 2005. (Wikipedia)

  3. Beautification and cleaning drives

    • GHMC / HMDA have taken up cleaning and beautification, including:

  4. Restoration projects

    • Reports mention multiple restoration projects across a decade, often supported by state and central schemes, but also note that despite this, the lake frequently remains dry and degraded. (The Times of India)

Community-led initiatives

  1. Lake Protection / Revival Bodies

    • Residents formed a Lake Protection Body / Kapra Lake Revival Group (KLRG) to monitor encroachments and engage authorities. (Wikipedia)

  2. Citizen clean-ups and campaigns

    • Human chain protests and awareness events around the lake to highlight encroachments and pollution, including a human chain on 13 Aug 2023. (The Times of India)

    • Regular clean-ups and social media campaigns by residents of Kapra and Sainikpuri documented since at least 2015. (Search for Water!)

  3. Compost pits and water-hyacinth management

    • Around 2018, locals working with IICT (Indian Institute of Chemical Technology) built 28 compost pits on the lake margin to convert removed water hyacinth into manure; reports say ~8,000 tons of hyacinth were treated.

  4. Recent “sustainability” programmes

    • In 2025, Kapra Lake Revival Group + Bhavan’s Sri Ramakrishna Vidyalaya organized a sustainability event: lake clean-up, zero-waste kits, and environmental education. (The Siasat Daily)

  5. Ecological recognition

    • Environmental groups describe Kapra as a notified wetland and an Important Bird Area (IBA) with potential to function as a bird sanctuary again, if sewage and encroachments are controlled. (The Siasat Daily)

Effectiveness

  • Media coverage and citizen reports are consistent that despite years of government and citizen effort, the lake is still highly stressed, often dry or choked, and encroachment issues are unresolved in full. (The Times of India)

7. Summary 

  • Kapra Lake is an old irrigation tank / natural lake in Kapra, Hyderabad, with documented revenue extent ~112–113 acres (44.87 ha).

  • Current effective lake area is about 70 acres, implying ~40+ acres of shrinkage, mainly due to encroachments and infill. (Wikipedia)


  • It once supplied drinking water to the Secunderabad Cantonment; it is now heavily polluted and frequently dry. (The Hans India)

  • Exact creator and date of construction are not clearly recorded in publicly accessible documents; only its later legal and hydrological parameters (SL, FTL, etc.) are formally documented under AP WALTA (2002). (Wikipedia)

  • Preservation efforts include:

    • legal demarcation and Lake Protection Committee framework,

    • GHMC/HMDA cleaning and beautification,

    • community activism (Lake Protection Body / KLRG, compost pits, clean-ups, human chains, school programmes),

    • eco-restoration concepts like phyto-remediation and bio-remediation now being discussed or piloted. (Telangana Today)

If you want, I can next map timeline form (e.g., 2000 → 2005 → 2012 → 2018 → 2025 with key orders, PILs, protests) and list only the strongly documented events, which will be useful if you’re planning activism or a write-up.

Key Online Sources (links)

  • Overview + technical data (spread, FTL, encroachments):

    • Kapra Lake – Wikipedia (Wikipedia)

    • Sainikpuri article with Kapra Pedda Cheruvu details (revenue records, SL/FTL/MWL/TBL) (Wikipedia)

  • Shrinkage & pollution:

    • Once drinking water source, Kapra lake is gasping for life – The Hans India (2024) (The Hans India)

    • Years of restoration, but Kapra lake still runs dry – Times of India (2024) (The Times of India)

    • Siasat social posts & summaries (area 113 → 70 acres) (Facebook)

  • Historical / citizen context:

  • Restoration & community efforts:

    • Kapra Lake in Hyderabad cleaned and beautified – Telangana Today (2023) (Telangana Today)

    • Human chain formed for Kapra lake – Times of India (2023) (The Times of India)

    • Hyderabad students lead Kapra lake conservation effort – Siasat / Hans reports (2025) (The Siasat Daily)

    • Hyderabad: Kapra lake’s 28 compost pits built by locals may be razed – Deccan Chronicle (2018)

    • Water mixed with sewage being released into Hyderabad’s Kapra lake to facilitate Ganesh immersion, say residents - The Hindu https://share.google/75sOlsctIYXf1Hf0a

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