Faced with severe fund crunch, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to hand over parks and green patches maintained by it in the city to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
The HMDA executive committee which met here recently cleared the resolution on handing over 39 parks and green areas that were developed by it in different parts of the GHMC limits and the civic body was requested to take over their maintenance from April.
The HMDA note at the executive committee meeting said the urban forestry wing developed these parks, medians, greenery under flyovers in the GHMC area as part of city beautification and in the long run, these facilities were supposed to be maintained by communities and local bodies concerned.
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An expenditure of Rs.4.50 crore every year was being incurred in maintenance of these parks ‘which has become a burden on HMDA’s present financial status and no longer can be maintained’, it said. A senior official conceded that given the financial crunch, they were not in a position to continue caring for these green initiatives any further. “Some of the major parks that are to be handed over include Melkote Park at Narayanguda and also the parks at Saroornagar, Langar Houz, Safilguda and Vanasthalipuram,” he said. Apart from a takeover of the parks, the GHMC was also requested to release an amount of Rs.5 crore.
They should hand over all their parks and not be selective in retaining the lucrative ones
Somesh Kumar
GHMC Commissioner and Special Officer