The Hindu 27.12.2010
Hyderabad to be ‘most liveable city’ by 2031
J.S. Ifthekhar
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With their eyes set on the world heritage status, authorities have come |
Awe inspiring:An aerial view of the Charminar, Mecca Masjid along with
one of the Kamans. The city authorities want three Qutb Shahi monuments,
the Charminar, Golconda Fort and Qutb Shahi tombs, to be nominated for
UNESCO world heritage sites.
Hyderabad: Take heart—Hyderabad will be the ‘most liveable city’ by 2031.
It may sound like wishful thinking, but that’s precisely what the government hopes to achieve over the next two decades.
Given the poor civic amenities and the present chaotic conditions, it
doesn’t look like Hyderabad would be the most habitable of cities in
the days to come.
But with a view to get the world heritage status for the city,
authorities have come up with a host of ideas to attain the near
impossible.
To start with, it is proposed to make Hyderabad a one hour city. What
it means is one will be able to reach in about an hour’s time from
anywhere to anywhere.
Efficient city
Not just that. The State capital will be an efficient city in that
there will be an efficient urban management system with peoples’
participation. A time-saving energy-efficient mechanism will be put in
place with efficiency in land use, traffic movement, improved
infrastructure and services.
Safe city
It will also be a safe city. People of all age groups, cutting across
different social and economic backgrounds, can feel secure from natural
and manmade disasters and threats of all kinds.
Apart from being a low carbon city, Hyderabad will be made pedestrian
friendly with mixed land use pattern and pedestrian facilities to
enable commutability by foot.
Further, it is proposed to make it a compact city with potential for
rejuvenation, re-densification and optimisation of infrastructure and
resources. Also, it will be a knowledge city and a city with options for
employment, good work-home relations, education, health and leisure.
Mission statement
These are some of the broad points listed in the mission statement
presented by the government in the dossier submitted to UNESCO for
nomination of the Qutb Shahi monuments of Charminar, Golconda Fort and
Qutb Shahi Tombs into the world heritage sites.
The whole idea, according to officials in the Tourism Department, is
to make Hyderabad a vibrant city—rather the heart of the metropolitan
region by 2031.
Towards this end, efforts would be made to improve the quality of
life and environment in the city apart from establishing a synergy
between the core and the periphery and making it a modern metropolis.
The stress, however, will be on the city’s five H’s–harmonious, humane, heritage, hi-tech and healthy.
