The lake that lies between and connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad is:

Hussain Sagar is a large, heart-shaped artificial lake in the heart of Hyderabad, Telangana. It separates and links the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

History:

• It was built in 1562 by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah of the Golconda (Qutb Shahi) dynasty.
• It was built across a tributary of the Musi river to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city.
• The lake is named after Hussain Shah Wali.

Buddha statue:

• A huge monolithic statue of Gautam Buddha, about 18 metres tall and weighing about 350 tonnes, stands on the "Rock of Gibraltar" island in the middle of the lake.
• It was installed in 1992.

Tank Bund:

• The road along the eastern bank of the lake, called Tank Bund Road, has statues of important Telugu personalities and is a popular promenade.
• Necklace Road and Lumbini Park are other attractions around the lake.

Pollution:

• The lake has become polluted because of sewage, industrial waste and the immersion of idols during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Restoration efforts include diversion of sewage, treatment plants and rules on idol immersion.

Other lakes of Hyderabad:

Two large reservoirs, Osman Sagar (Gandipet) and another nearby reservoir, were built on the Musi and its tributary in the 1920s after the devastating Musi flood of 1908, to control floods and supply drinking water. One of them is covered in a separate question.

Durgam Cheruvu (Secret Lake), with a cable-stayed bridge built in 2020.

About Hyderabad:

• Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, who also built the Charminar.
• It became the capital of Telangana when the state was formed on 2 June 2014, and was also the shared capital of Andhra Pradesh for ten years.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Shamirpet Lake and Osman Sagar lie on the outskirts of the city.
• ✗Durgam Cheruvu is a lake in western Hyderabad.