As evening falls in Hyderabad, the scenic Durgam Cheruvu lake dazzles with lights and music at rooftop bars. But the water below tells a different story. The lake has shrunk, losing nearly two metres in water level after work on a pipe changed its flow. An official from Telangana Tourism said boating was paused due to the strong stench caused by rotting water hyacinth covering the lake, cleared only recently after 20 days. The water now releases treated sewage with high coliform counts, causing unsafe conditions for wildlife. The Irrigation Department has lowered the full tank level of the lake from 560.1 to 558 metres to free land for builders. This water level drop exposes large areas around the lake and has encouraged illegal constructions near the shores. Activists and experts say the lake’s natural inflow channels have disappeared, replaced by sewage drains. The mayor’s office recently issued notices to 240 homeowners around the lake to remove illegal structures, but enforcement is inconsistent. HYDRAA removed some squatters who converted parts of the lake into parking lots, but cleared areas quickly filled again with water hyacinth. Despite plans and fund allotments to divert sewage and save the lake, its size has shrunk from 160.6 acres to smaller, and water quality worsens. Locals say the once blue, pristine lake is now a foul-smelling, mosquito breeding ground. The lake, historically a water source for Golconda Fort, is losing its ecological balance due to decades-long pressure from urban growth and weak governance. As a result, Durgam Cheruvu stands as an example of rapid urban lake degradation driven by real estate interests and rising pollution in Hyderabad.