The Union Ministry for Urban Development has chosen Hyderabad along with cities such as Varanasi and Ajmer-Pushkar for a World Bank-aided heritage conservation project, informed GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu on Wednesday.
Interacting with World Bank representatives and officials, who had drafted the inclusive heritage-based city development strategy at the head office, he said that the municipal corporation has taken up initiatives such as restoration and conservation of Murgi Chowk at Charminar, appointed a consultant for preparation of detailed project reports for restoration of M.J. Market and Mahaboob Mansion, Malakpet.
Cell in GHMC
A heritage cell too was formed with a conservation architect heading it. The Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) should conduct sensitisation programmes for civil engineers and architects on preservation techniques regularly, he said.
The committee could also recommend, through the HMDA, exemption of property tax.
A stake-holders’ meeting has been scheduled on Thursday at the head office on the issue and interested persons are welcome, he said. The Centre for Environmental Planning & Technology’s Saswat Dindyopadhyay informed that two graduate urban planners would be provided to the GHMC for strengthening its heritage cell.
HCC Chairman Rajamani, CEPT University Prof. C.K. Koshi, Additional Commissioner (Planning) K. Dhananjaya Reddy and other senior officials were present.
FTL markings
Earlier, at the standing committee meeting, Mr. Krishna Babu informed that Full Tank Levels (FTL) of all the lakes will be protected by constructing concrete pillars and fencing of government lands.
Pointing out that there were both government and private lands under the FTL at several places, he assured to provide GPRS/GIS survey maps and reports on the lakes to the corporators. Another survey too will be conducted to study the release of effluent water released into stormwater drains.
Action on shops
Mayor Majid Hussain, who presided over the weekly meeting, called for the health and sanitation wing to issue notices and follow it up with action on the shops/business establishments throwing waste into the stormwater drains, including plastic and animal matter.
He also called for preparation of a junction development plan for Shastripuram junction near the National Police Academy (NPA). Responding to another complaint about the quality of tube-light chokes, Additional Commissioner (Electrical) Jayaraj Kennedy was asked to submit a detailed report in the next meeting.
Mr. Kennedy briefed the committee about the estimates prepared for temporarily lighting for Bonalu festival during 2012-13. About 16,498 temporary lights are to be provided at an estimated cost of Rs.45.24 lakh for the festival.
Other proposals
The committee also cleared other proposals such as an indoor sports complex at Moghalpura (Rs.7 cr), swimming pool & basketball court near the Owaisi playground at Golconda (Rs.2 cr), Gowlipura sports complex (Rs.2.45 cr), new road connecting Dabeerpura-Saidabad (Rs.40 lakh), construction of retaining walls over stormwater drains and fencing for lakes in Serilingampally.
