Greater Hyderabad stares at green disaster

“Our climate is warning at an alarming and unprecedented rate, and we have an urgent duty to respond. Indeed, this year, we have seen extraordinary momentum on climate change worldwide, and in many multilateral fora. This momentum is irreversible – it’s being driven not only by governments, but by science, business and global action of all types at all levels,” says Marrakech Declaration in November last.

The United Nations conference on climate change in Marrakech, Moracco, delivered a clarion call to the world on the urgency of global action of all types of at all levels. The acceptance of this proclamation with thunderous applause by 197 nations including India was a touching moment to the humanity worldwide.

This affirms the urgency and all countries should plunge into action by initiating concrete actions to contain the climatic warming taking place at alarming rate. In a metropolitan city, master plan serves as a guide for public and private decision-makers regarding the future physical development of the city. It is a long-term perspective plan which lay down the space requirements for the coming 20 to 25 years.

The basic parameter for planning the city, today, encompasses the comprehensive approach for which all significant options and impacts must be considered for the future growth of the city. So, basically for setting a benchmark for sustainability and environmentally friendly design, the city must be zero carbon, zero waste and pollution free city. As per the observations of Brundtland Commission, 1987, “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to their own needs.”

HMDA Master Plan 2031
The Draft Metropolitan Development plan (Master Plan)-2031 for Hyderabad Metropolitan Region covers an area comprising Extended Area of HMDA, ORR Growth Corridor, (1 km on either side of ORR), part of erstwhile HUDA (outside ORR) and part of erstwhile HADA (outside ORR).

“The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority has taken up the development of proposed Outer Ring road with a total length of 162kms. To trigger large scale development along the Outer Ring Road Corridor, it was decided to undertake preparation of comprehensive Development plan with hierarchical road net work and frame special development regulations for the areas falling under 1 km belt on either side of outer ring road so as to promote planned development and curb haphazard and ribbon development along the Outer Ring Road.”

Urban heat island is the terminology which defines the increase in temperature of both the atmosphere and the lithosphere in urban areas as compared to rural areas. The intensity of the temperature is more concentrated towards the central areas of the town and gradually lowers down as you move to the outer areas of the town in a pyramidal type of urban development.

These are formed as vegetations are replaced by man-made surroundings, for example asphalt and concrete for roads, buildings and other structures for the growing population. In a pyramidal type of development, the city centre will have multi-storeyed buildings, Down Town and the surroundings will have residential low rise buildings. In the history of urban city, the usual shapes encountered are square, circle, star, linear and concentric. Credit goes to our urban planners in creating a unique ring town to add to the array of city forms mentioned.

The present HMDA has proposed an Outer Ring Road with 1km width Growth Corridor with multi-storeyed buildings on either side of the Ring Road. It is unfortunate that our urban planners failed to understand the green belt concept envisaged by Fayazuddin almost seven decades back.

The ORR-GC is virtually a city in ring shape which can be called as a ring city surrounding Hyderabad, to trigger large scale development. The minimum developable independent plot size for apartment complexes and all the other residential uses will be 1,000 sq.mts with a minimum abutting road width of 12.2 metres.

The height of the high rise buildings in ORR-GC will be ranging from 6 floors to 16 floors and above subject to minimum setbacks. As per the AP Building Byelaws 2012, the multi-storeyed buildings are allowed up to 16 metres and above. Within a decade, we can foresee the ORR-GC and GHMC, covered by multi-storeyed buildings. Because of multi-storeyed buildings (building mass), the heat observed during the day will be released in the night leading to heat trap.

And because the leeward side (North-East) of the Greater Hyderabad is closed or obstructed by the intensity of multi-storeyed buildings, the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures in a day will be reduced by 2 C and above. It is unimaginable to predict the future of the city if the global temperature rises as predicted by some eco scientists.

As the airflow is obstructed in multi-storeyed buildings, pollution levels will increase in GHMC area. Whereas the trend throughout the world is to have a zero carbon city in future, we are proposing the city into 100 per cent carbon city. Because of the heat trap, the eco system in the inner area covered by the ring city will be seriously affected. This also increases the consumption of more energy to have comfortable living conditions.

The Telangana government should take note of this serious concern of the Marrakech Declaration while preparing the Integrated Master Plan for Greater Hyderabad and take action to delete the one kilometer wide Growth Corridor with high rise RCC buildings on both sides of 162-km-long outer ring road and replace it with a Green Corridor to take care of the unprecedented climate warming in the proposed Integrated Master Plan for Hyderabad Metropolitan Region.

Otherwise, 450-year historic Hyderabad faces an environmental catastrophe turning it to be a gas chamber coupled with high level heat trap determental to humanity, flora and fauna. (Writer is an architect based in Hyderabad)

By Avala Buchi Reddy