The Hindu 16.04.2010
Can HMDA cope with the impending growth?
T.Lalith Singh
A survey by HMDA predicts residential areas to increase by 133 per cent and indicates the challenges before the agency
HYDERABAD: The city is poised for growth in all directions in coming years and the spread it is likely to encompass in terms of both residential and commercial development has made authorities sit back to look at solutions for better management.
Report
A document ‘Environmental Building Design Initiative' done by consultant groups, Teri and Terra Viridis on behalf of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) takes a look at the impending growth and comes out with hard realities awaiting the city.
A lot of housing development has been going around in what till recently were city suburbs and other mega projects such as the Outer Ring Road (ORR) could throw up much more residential activity in the coming years.
This gets reflected in the document with suggestions under ‘Hyderabad – Growth Trend and Planning Concerns' on the possibility of residential areas increasing by 133 per cent in the next 15 years.
Issue of concern
Similarly, the commercial area could increase by 21 times, it states. However, the cumulative result of these developments could result in the conservation/agriculture area decreasing by 60 per cent.
The planners' concern as the scenario unfolds could be manifold with increased pressure on energy and water supplies, sewage disposal, storm water drainage and also waste disposal mechanism.
Environment
And the resultant situation could act on environment also with ambient air quality getting affected, highly polluted water, land erosion and high noise levels, the Teri and Terra Viridis report points out.
Focus on green buildings
It is in this backdrop, the HMDA Environmental Building Initiative got drafted and looks at sustainable development of Greater Hyderabad and among other measures seek to increase education on green building design practices and dispel the notion that they involve higher building costs.
Extensive deliberations
The initiative which saw several rounds of consultations with various stakeholders, government representatives, and subject experts looks at three pronged approach i.e., awareness generation and capacity building, incentives and legislation.
Also figuring are an audit for energy and water consumptions in all existing government buildings and public sector units and ways to reduce them while ensuring that all new such facilities follow the prescribed guidelines.
