HMDA on a mission to spread greenery

Hyderabad: Along with the development of infrastructure facilities for the urbanites, HMDA is also focusing on the urban green lung spaces. As per a Government Order (GO), the authority is planning to develop 16 Forest clusters as ‘Urban Lung Spaces or Urban Parks’ in the HMDA limits over an area of 5,963.27 hectares. For the benefit of the local people, HMDA, along the lines of KBR Park, is planning to secure the forests with see through walls and provide amenities like pathways, cycling tracks and other visitor amenities, besides improving the vegetation.

HMDA Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy has convened a meeting on Sunday with the consultants of Environmental Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) and retired senior forest officers, as per the directions of TS Chief Secretary SK Joshi. HMDA has proposed to develop each of the forest blocks into two zones. One is the conservation zone where around 80 to 85 per cent of total area will be allocated to forest, soil & moisture conservation to promote the natural and artificial regeneration of forests. The other is the visitor zone where 15 to 20 per cent of the area will be allocated to parking area, entry plaza, pathways, theme parks, gazebos, visitor amenities like washrooms, drinking water facilities, seating etc., and nature interpretation shed.

Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have already been prepared for each cluster and the total amount is estimated to be about Rs 99.50 Crore for the 16 Urban Forest Blocks (UFBs). Engineering wing at HMDA has called for tenders for the development of see-through walls for all the 16 clusters in 5 packages. The designs of gate archways have been prepared for 16 blocks and tenders are being invited. The construction of pathways and gazebos will be taken up in visitor zone of all the blocks. Advisor to EPTRI & retired IFS SD Mukherji and Advisor to EPTRI Dr Manoranjan Bhanja explained about the details of basic data collection and monitoring matrix for the development of urban parks in HMDA limits.

The Metropolitan Commissioner at HMDA has agreed to release some advance as per the request of EPTRI, and requested the EPTRI to start the work for the collection of baseline data and monitoring the development of forest clusters into the urban forest parks. The Metropolitan Commissioner requested Mukherji and Bhanji, to guide the staff of HMDA Urban Forestry in the development of Forest blocks by having periodical meetings and discussions.