Lakes of Hyderabad

Lakes of Hyderabad

• Osman Sagar - Osman sagar was created by dam constructed on the Musi River in 1920, for providing drinking water source for Hyderabad, and also for saving the city from floods, which the city witnessed in 1908. It was constructed during the reign of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, hence the name. It is a popular tourist destination, especially after the rainy season when the reservoir is full, and its parks, resorts, amusement park are a major attraction. This lake had served drinking water for Hyderabad city but due to increase in population it is now unable to provide sufficient water supply to Hyderabad and so it is now just used for public recreation.

• Durgam Cheruvu - Also called The Secret Lake, it is a peaceful boulevard near the bustling Madhapur.

Himayat Sagar

• Himayat Sagar - It is the twin lake to Osman Sagar, Gandipet lake. It comes along the way on Outer Ring Road en route to airport which provides a beautiful view.

Statue of Buddha amid the Hussain Sagar Lake

• Hussain Sagar - It is a man-made lake famous for the 19-metre tall Buddha statue present in the middle of the lake.^[23] Located on its banks is Tank Bund which consists of beautiful gardens and statues of famous personalities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature at the lake.

• Shamirpet Lake - The lake is situated 24 km north of Secunderabad. Its distance from the city is an incentive for the weekend picnics. It offers a serene location. It attracts a lot of birds, hence a destination for bird watchers. There is also a deer park belonging to the state government near the lake.

• Rukn ud Daula Lake - The lake is named after Musa Khan, Nawab Rukn ud-Daula, The 10th Prime Minister (1765–1775) of The Nizam, Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III of Hyderabad Deccan.^[24]

• Mir Alam Tank - Located adjacent to Nehru Zoological Park on the Hyderabad-Bangalore Highway. It has provided drinking water to Hyderabad people for 125 years before the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were built. Mir Alam laid the foundation for the tank on July 20, 1804, as a plaque still lying in a corner shows. It was completed in about two years on June 8, 1806.

• Saroornagar Lake - From the year of its creation in 1626 AD, the lake remained largely clean until 1956 when Hyderabad expanded.^[25] Spread over 99 acres (40 ha), the lake was restored by the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority in 2003-04 at a cost of 20 crore (US$3.64 million).^[26] After the restoration of the lake, migratory birds returned to the lake in big numbers a few years later.