Hyderabad is a city with several areas named after gardens (bagh) such as Jambagh, Sitarambagh, Kundanbagh, Basheerbagh, Rambagh, Phoolbagh, Kishanbagh and many more places. The spanking IT corridor areas of Cyberabad has none. According to the GHMC, the city has 17 major parks that contribute to most of the cover.
In 2015, the Telangana state government’s plan to plant two crore saplings in Hyderabad as part of the Telangana Ku Haritha Haaram was stalled due to poor rains. The IISc study which predicts dwindling of green cover in Hyderabad has to serve as a wake-up call.
Environmental scientist C. Umamaheshwar Reddy, the joint organizing secretary of the Council for Green Revolution, said that most of the city areas were covered with buildings and roads, leaving no space for vegetation. “There are open lands and the government should focus on developing big parks with lots of native trees rather than looking to sell them,” he said.
As the city’s population increases, there is a necessity for big parks which will not only conserve groundwater but also cause rainfall and cool down temperatures, he said. “They will provide a natural open leisure space for city folk, a refreshing alternative to closed malls and multiplexes,” he said.