An initiative to document the status of the city’s environment and also work out strategies for its protection and improvement has been taken up by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
The Environmental Conservation and Upgradation Plan for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region would document the extent of damage caused by pollution to air, water and soil. It also intends to draw up mid and long-term approaches to ensure a ‘healthy environment for the inhabitants of Hyderabad’. The plan, for which consultants are to be appointed soon, would take in account the entire HMDA area, covering over 7,100 square km and spread over the districts of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medak, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda. Apart from taking stock of the present status, the environment strategies would take into account the future economic and population growth of the region.
HMDA officials put the scope of the initiative to compiling data and details pertaining to all key parameters of environment. Apart from studying the present levels of the air quality, experts for the plan were expected to come up with measures to mitigate the pollution levels and over a period.
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Also, the sustainable management of surface water resources and improving the quality of groundwater too forms part of the proposal. Other features such as a status report on vegetation and afforestation have been included. The plan also lays special focus on some of the key water bodies such as the Hussainsagar, Osmansagar and Himayathsagar.
“There are initiatives already in place on lake conservation and this plan too will come up with strategies on check effluents and developing green belts,” the official said.