Hyderabad Aug. 21: Over 20,000 encroachments dot the 250-odd lake beds in and around the city. And this is all happening because the officials prefer to turn a blind eye to the illegal construction activities. The problem has been further compounded with the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority failing to demarcate the Full Tank Level (FTL), the dry area that submerges during rains. Sources said nearly 200 lakes in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district do not have the FTL markings. In the absence of FTL markings, land dealings are continuing as buyers do not know the area that falls under the tank bed. It may be mentioned that Huda has been vested with the responsibility of protecting, conserving and maintaining lakes in and around the city. Lack of coordination between the organisation, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the district town and country planning department, pollution control board and the industries department officials have led to the shrinking of the lake area. "The lakebed land sold like hot cakes between 2002 and 2004 when a drought-like situation prevailed in the state and the real estate market sky-rocketed. Why blame Huda alone when permission for construction of buildings was given by the municipal authorities and the DTCP,' a Huda official said. Musi riverbed and its FTL area alone has over 10,000 permanent and temporary encroachments followed by Hussainsagar, Himayatsagar and Osmansagar. Pucca structures have come up in the FTL areas of Safilguda and Saroornagar lake, Durgam Cheruvu, Medikunta Cheruvu, Gangaram Pedda Cheruvu, Chandanagar Pedda Cheruvu at Serilingampally, Nallagandla Cheruvu and Gowlidoddi Cheruvu to name a few. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Mr V. Hanumantha Rao said the Mahatma Gandhi Bus complex, Asia's biggest bus terminal at Imli Bun, was constructed by filling up the Musi riverbed area. MIM MLA Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi said several colonies have mushroomed in the tank beds with municipal authorities blindly giving permission for construction activities.