Ameenpur Lake

Ameenpur is a small lake in Sangareddy District in the Indian state of Telangana and on the edge of the city of Hyderabad. It is the first body of water in India to be recognised as a Biodiversity Heritage Site and is the first biodiversity site to be approved in an urban area.^[2]

Ameenpur Lake
అమీనాపూర్ చెరువు (Telugu)
Ameenpur Lake Location in Telangana Show map of Hyderabad Ameenpur Lake Ameenpur Lake (India) Show map of India
Location	Hyderabad, India
Coordinates	17°31′27″N 78°19′50″E
Type	Artificial lake
Surface area	93 acres (0.38 km2)
Max. depth	8 metres (26 ft)[1]
Surface elevation	530 metres (1,740 ft)
Frozen	Never

Description

Ameenpur Lake is on the northwestern fringes of Hyderabad and is a man-made lake that was reportedly constructed more than 300 years ago during the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah (1550–1580 AD) by a courtier, Abdul Qadir Amin Khan of Patancheru, to irrigate his gardens. The garden no longer exists, but the lake has survived.^[3] The lake is surrounded by undulating terrain with rocky outcrops and rocky formations which lie in the midst of an urban sprawl, surrounded by factories, villages, and modern apartments.^[4]

Ameenpur once occupied an area of more than 300 acres (1.2 km²) but, due to encroachment, the lake currently covers an area of 93 acres (0.38 km²).^[5]

Wildlife

Various resident and migratory birds, such as flamingos, egrets, herons, cormorants, kingfishers, and river terns, visit the lake. Ameenpur Lake is a major spot for birdwatchers in Hyderabad.^[2][6]

In 2017, it was reported that the lake was home to 8 species of mammals, 166 birds, 45 herpetofauna (12 amphibians and 34 reptiles), 9 species of fish, and 143 invertebrates (26 aquatic beetles, 41 butterflies, 18 odonates, 25 arachnids, and 33 other invertebrates).^[1]

Gallery

• Ameenpur Lake
• 
  Flamingos at Ameenpur
• 
  Black-winged stilts and a Cormorant at Ameenpur lake
• 
  Grey Heron waiting for sunrise at Ameenpur lake
• 
  Spot Billed Pelican
• 
  Greater Flamingos
• 
  Pied Kingfisher
• 
  Black-tailed godwit
• 
  Stilt Sandpiper
• 
  Indian Pond heron having a quick meal
• 
  Wood storks

Biodiversity site

Ameenpur was declared as a Biodiversity Heritage Site in November 2016 by the Ministry of Environment under the Biological Diversity Act 2002^[2][7] because of the large number of migratory birds that thrive there.^[4]

Tourism

Ameenpur is ranked by TripAdvisor as 143rd of 242 things to do in Hyderabad.^[8]

References

1. G, Sailu; Laxmi Narayana, B (12 December 2016). "Faunal diversity of Ameenpur Lake, Telangana state, India: A biodiversity heritage site" (PDF). Telangana State Biodiversity Board. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
2. "India's First Urban Biodiversity Heritage Site – A Ray of Hope for Lake Conservationists". Eartha. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
3. Nanisetti, Serish (1 November 2018). "Who moved my arch". The Hindu. Hyderabad. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
4. Bhagwat, Shonil (2018). Conservation and Development in India: Reimagining Wilderness. Routledge. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-317-41353-0.
5. Nanisetti, Serish (3 June 2017). "First Biodiversity Heritage Site in India: fish for everyone". The Hindu. Hyderabad. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
6. • V, Rishi Kumar (6 November 2016). "Ameenpur lake gets biodiversity heritage tag". Business Line. Hyderabad. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
   • "Ameenpur Lake". GKTODAY. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
7. "Ameenpur lake declared Biodiversity Heritage Site". The Times of India. Hyderabad. 5 June 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
8. Ameenpur Lake at www.tripadvisor.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2018

17°31′27″N 78°19′50″E