The Hindu : Front Page : Chief Minister lays foundation for HMDA

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Monday, Aug 25, 2008
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Chief Minister lays foundation for HMDA

HYDERABAD: The burgeoning city with stretching boundaries and influx of people from different parts necessitated a body such as Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) for better planning and management, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said here on Sunday.

Formally launching the HMDA and laying the foundation for its central office complex at Hitex, Madhapur, Dr.Reddy described it as a historic occasion and said the city and its suburbs had grown rather dramatically in recent times that the HMDA with wider jurisdiction replaces the earlier body, Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

Lofty aim

The new authority, with a jurisdiction covering around 7,000 sq. km and a population of 76 lakh people, and in terms of the spread double the size of States like Goa, would shape the emergence of the city as one with world standards.

It would meet the challenges emerging from the growing city and increasing population with a stress on amenities and infrastructure. The city had witnessed a sharp rise in population and the same demanded focus on drinking water supply, sewerage, garbage disposal and rail and road connectivity, he said.

In view of the need for regulated growth, HMDA has the main responsibility to come up with good plans and implement them apart from taking up mega projects, Dr Reddy said. “The next 20 to 30 years might see the population doubling and we need to provide necessary infrastructure for this,” he said.

Water supply a priority

Dr. Reddy said uninterrupted drinking water supply was a priority and the government has not only completed the second phase of Krishna but also initiated steps for 120 MGD supply from Godavari which was in tendering stage. Land values not only in Hyderabad but also surrounding districts such as Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar, Warangal, Medak and Nalgonda had gone up and as the city grew, showing signs of registering a growth, he pointed out.

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