Hyderabad: For a city with several areas named after gardens (bagh) — Jambagh, Sitarambagh, Kundanbagh, Basheerbagh, Rambagh, Phoolbagh, Kishanbagh — there are few gardens. The spanking IT corridor areas of Cyberabad has none.
The GHMC says the city has 17 major parks that contribute to most of the cover. Last year, the Telangana state government’s plan to plant two crore saplings in Hyderabad as part of the Telangana ku Haritha Haaram was stalled due to poor rains.
The IISc study which predicts dwindling of green cover in Hyderabad has to serve as a wake up call. Environmental scientist C. Umamaheshwar Reddy, joint organising secretary of the Council for Green Revolution, pointed out that most city areas were covered with buildings and tar roads, leaving no space for vegetation.
“There are open lands and the government should focus on developing big parks with lots of native trees rather than looking to sell them,” he said.
As the city’s population increases, there is a dire necessity for big parks which will not only conserve groundwater but also cause rainfall and cool down temperatures, he said. “They will provide a natural open leisure space for city folk, a refreshing alternative to closed malls and multiplexes,” he said.
