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.