After roads, GHMC to outsource parks upkeep

Hyderabad: Even as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is all set to hand over maintenance of roads to private firms as part of a pilot project, the civic body is also in plans to replicate the model in respect of minor parks across the twin cities. At least a park in each ward would be given to an outsourced agency.

Annual maintenance contract (AMC) of eight roads will be soon given to private players for a period of five years. This eight stretches, three from GHMC and five from HRDCL (Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited), have been taken up on pilot project for which the tender process has reached an advanced stage.

Meanwhile, in the case of parks, the officials are busy working out the modalities of maintenance contracts. Commercial aspects, though, would differ from one park to another, based on size, dimensions and area.

Rajendra, Deputy Commissioner, Serilingampally, said, "The agency allotted the contract will be coordinating with all the departments concerned and will be responsible for proper maintenance of the park."

Wherever colony associations are ably performing management of the parks, they would be roped in to enter into contracts with the GHMC. For an instance, the colony park at JP Nagar is being maintained by Resident Welfare Association with assistance from GHMC. "Many more colony parks are to be developed on similar lines," said Ramesh, Deputy Commissioner, Yousufguda.

"We are in need of GHMC garbage collectors and workers to maintain our colony parks. We hired one worker and are paying her from our pockets to handle a few parks but it would be helpful if government could help us," said VV Rao, vice-president of KP Colony Federation at Kukatpally.

Residents of several colonies, especially the Maruthi Nagar residents, are worried over the unhygienic condition of their colony park. There park is adjacent to an open nala and they find no use of park as the place stinks.The common problems in all the parks are untrimmed bushes, unattended garbage, broken pathways, damaged benches, water stagnation points etc.