Skip to main content

Hyderabad's green areas in, around 'threatened' as concrete jungle expands

By Sudhansu R Das 

Nature had blessed Hyderabad with hundreds of lakes, hills, natural springs, a fine weather and vibrant villages on its periphery which worked as the state’s granary for several decades.  Today man has destroyed nature's gift due to its greed which can put the greedy demon king Ravana into shame.  The city has lost its sparkling crystal clear lakes which were built by the great Kakatiya kings and the Nizams in the past centuries. 
The breathing space, hills, artistic rock forest, hills, peacock population, rich flora and fauna, native trees with massive canopies, paddy fields and grape vines etc have disappeared.  The city was once filled with life which is now being replaced with lifeless objects of steel and concrete.  How to save this beautiful city which was known as the Queen of Decaan is the biggest challenge before the residents, judiciary, good political leaders, media, intellectuals and the youth etc.
The potential threat to the city is its expansion in all directions. Over the years the city has grown beyond its limit and it is impossible to manage its growth with the available man power, machines, skills and efficiency level.  Air pollution, depletion of groundwater, contamination of lakes, destruction of native trees with huge canopies, errand real estate growth, destruction of granaries around the city, unreliable transportation system, pot holes filled roads, rise in atmospheric temperature and indiscipline traffic have pushed the city into chaos. 
People need simple and plain roads in their localities; roads are the basic need and should not be dug repeatedly. Over the years, the housing sector growth has boosted demand for other infrastructures. Millions of people have invested their hard earned money in housing but they are the worst sufferers. They pay huge property tax which is one of the main sources of income for the state.   
In the majority of the housing societies corrupt and unscrupulous elements in the Managing Committees loot hundreds of crores of rupees from the residents’ funds.  Innocent residents find it difficult to handle the rogue MCs.  The state government should introduce strict regulation for the housing societies.  There should be a special legal cell and task force to address the residents’ complaints against financial frauds in the societies.  Similarly, builders who violate the environment rules and jeopardize the future of the city should be punished.
Instead of allowing the city to spill over to the fertile agricultural land in all directions, efforts should be made to protect the villages bordering Hyderabad which once served as the granary not only for Telangana but for all the southern states in the country.  As per the World Bank report, more than 50% people in the world do not get sufficient food to eat. The hunger and starvation across the world is increasing day by day. 
Nature has blessed Hyderabad with a huge food ring around it; the state should protect and preserve the food ring and earn huge profit by exporting food grains, vegetables and fruits to different countries.  The state should protect the rivers and water bodies which will automatically make the farmers rich; there will be no need to spend money on the social sector.  Rather the social sector will generate revenue for the state.
Instead of expanding Hyderabad in all directions, the state should now develop the neighboring towns like Medchal, Medak, Vikarabad, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhubanagiri and Jangaon etc while keeping the granary around Hyderabad intact.  In the coming years it is not the industry nor the real estate which will earn for the state, it is the fertile farmland that will give the state rich dividends.   
The state should discourage errant growth of the housing sector inside Hyderabad city as it has already distorted the city, wiped out water bodies, dried up the ground water and increased the temperature; it has made Hyderabad a harsh place to live.  The state governments should bring strict laws to prevent conversion of farm land into concrete jungle and encourage farmers not to sell their agricultural land. A large number of farmers in the Hyderabad suburb repent for selling their farmland; the majority have wasted their money and are facing difficult times.
Revival of all the lakes, hills, rock forest, grape gardens, natural springs, granaries, meadows, rivers and grassland will make the city look far more beautiful than Switzerland; it will attract a large number of foreign tourists. The income and employment in the state will grow many folds. The animal husbandry sector in Hyderabad will thrive to become a booming economic sector. 
The milk has hundreds of byproducts and the benefits will outweigh the industry and manufacturing sector. The dairy farmers face acute shortage of water, green fodder and grazing area. If this situation continues the people of Hyderabad will be deprived of quality milk and milk products; they will suffer from nutrition deficit and face health problems.  Let the Queen of Deccan regain its rich culture, past glory and prosperity.

Comments

TRENDING

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C.  In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria*  Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027.  However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative   Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative   The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan   In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

MGNREGA: How caste and power hollowed out India’s largest welfare law

By Sudhir Katiyar, Mallica Patel*  The sudden dismantling of MGNREGA once again exposes the limits of progressive legislation in the absence of transformation of a casteist, semi-feudal rural society. Over two days in the winter session, the Modi government dismantled one of the most progressive legislations of the UPA regime—the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

MGNREGA’s limits and the case for a new rural employment framework

By Dr Jayant Kumar*  Rural employment programmes have played a pivotal role in shaping India’s socio-economic landscape . Beyond providing income security to vulnerable households, they have contributed to asset creation, village development, and social stability. However, persistent challenges—such as seasonal unemployment, income volatility, administrative inefficiencies, and corruption—have limited the transformative potential of earlier schemes.