Let's make Hyderabad liveable by curbing pollution: KCR

Hyderabad: Is the City of Pearls -- Hyderabad, competing with Delhi in terms of pollution. This is what the Government feels.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday cautioned all senior officials, including the district collectors at the day-long Collectors' Conference about the impending danger of deadly air pollution in near future.

Emphasising on the need to contain the pollution, the Chief Minister mooted several measures, including reducing number of diesel vehicles, promotion of e-vehicles and the development of dense forest in more than one lakh hectares in the city limits.

He also announced that growing air pollution will be one of the top agenda in the "Pattana Pragathi" (Urban Development) programme to be launched soon in all urban bodies. The meeting also discussed in detail the challenges in the urban areas mainly environment and creation of better civic amenities in the municipalities.

KCR said that cities having no seashore will have more pollution and Delhi is the best example. "We are seeing how it is suffering. Hyderabad, which is regarded as the most liveable city, will also have to face severe pollution problem if it is neglected and proper measures are not taken now," he said.

"There is 1.6 lakh hectares of forest land available in and around Hyderabad," he added. He asked the authorities to prepare an action plan to develop dense forests in the available forest lands and control the pollution in the city.

In the meeting, the CM instantly approved the proposal to develop Harini Vanasthali Park at Vanasthalipuram on the lines of KBR national Park.

The CM expressed serious concern on the less percentage of forest cover in Hyderabad, Gadwal, Karimnagar, Jangaon, Warangal Urban, Yadadri, Suryapet, and Narayanpet, Sangareddy districts.

Collectors of these districts were asked to identify Forest Blocks district-wise and take measures for forest revival, rejuvenation and protection.