Contrary to the general perception that encroachment of water bodies is high in urban areas, a census conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) from 2017-19 reveals that over 96% of encroachments have taken place in rural Telangana.
The census put the total number of water bodies in Telangana at 64,055 including ponds (27,003), tanks (16,292), lakes (289), reservoirs (111), percolation tanks or check dams (19,239), and others (1,121). The study has found that 3,032 water bodies have been encroached in the State, including 2,920 in rural areas and 112 in urban areas.
However, it was found that encroachment of 86 water bodies out of the total 112 in urban areas (53 in Rangareddy and 20 in Hyderabad), was beyond the assessment stage, meaning there was hardly anything for assessment by the personnel who took up the study.
