Parks of the Hyderabad:Nehru Nagar Colony Park

Nehru Nagar Colony Park located at West Maredpally in GHMC limits is spread over in four acres. The park serves as the focal point for morning walkers of the Maredpally area and its neighbourhood colonies.

The long green lawns with good number of trees and plants make the Park a comfortable abode for people and children to enjoy a peaceful environment. It is a paradise for senior citizens association members numbering to about 300, who perform exercises, meditation, yoga and other social and cultural activities.

The major landmarks are Shanai Nursing Home, St. Anns High School, Geetha Nursing Home, Maredpally Police Station, Deccan Club and GHMC playground. TSRTC buses are available to all parts of the city. The Secunderabad Railway Station is 2 km away and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airtort is 35 km away.

There is no entry is fee for morning walkers and visitors, who can visit from 5.00 am to 10.00 am and from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

The park is maintained by GHMC under the administrative control and supervision of the Deputy Director of Horticulture and Parks wing of North Zone.

History

According to locals, during the Nizam rule the British army troops camped in the quarters of the Secunderabad Cantonment area, which was a place for their fitness, rest and recuperation.

However, after independence it started developing along with East and West Maredpally and its neighbourhood colonies. In the 1980s, it was converted in to a major park and a sports complex was developed adjacent to it.

A Aruna Jyothi horticulture officer of GHMC said, “Daily 300 people come and enjoy the glimpse of the park. The GHMC is planning to develop the park to suit the infrastructure requirements for its best maintenance and also the needs of the park users who are in large numbers.

Problems

Local park users inform that water supply for sprinkles is inadequate and that the bore wells have dried. In addition, walking tracks are laid with mud and causing increased difficulty in breathing due to dust in air. The community hall, which was demolished two years ago with a promise for a new one, is still not available. There is a severe problem of stray monkeys and dogs in the park.

Some local persons on the condition of anonymity said that a few local leaders are keeping a hawk eye on the 500 acre land near the sports complex to grab it. Unless GHMC authorities keep a tag on this corner and bring it under the full use for the sports activities, it is not far off that one day the entire land is will be in the jaws of land sharks and vanish.