Will mega tourism projects affect Hyderabad's eco system?

By K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD, MAY 16. Will the planned ambitious mega tourism projects involving several concrete structures around the Hussain Sagar lake like amusement park, open air theatre, State Museum, food courts, music and laser shows and rail bus, prove to be a death knell to the microclimate, destroying what little lung space is left in the city?

Prominent environmentalists contend that all these projects will have a disastrous effect on the already fragile eco-system of the vastly shrunk lake, add to congestion and push down the per capita recreational space in the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad area from the meagre 0.5 square metre at present to a new low. Despite the green and clean campaigns, Hyderabad's figure is poor compared to the national average of 3 square metres per head.

Not just that, the environmentalists say these projects, involving conversion of adjoining parks, have been planned without the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Public Hearing, violate the Master Plan and Zonal Development Plans governing the land use pattern, as also the orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.

Demanding that the Government reconsider its grandiose plans and leave the open spaces just like that or develop them into huge parks, they warned that they would go to court, if it refused to budge. They wanted these projects to be taken outside the city. They had sent a number of representations to different officials, but there was no proper response.

No official knows whose brilliant idea was it to transform the only remaining open space in the heart of the city crowded, but everyone seem to join the bandwagon of promoting tourism, at the cost of well being of the local people. They also said it was unfortunate that an architect of Mr. Charles Correa's eminence, who always supported open-to-sky philosophy and headed National Commission on Urbanisation, should lend his name to such environmentally destructive projects.

A fresh appeal to the Government to review the plans has been signed among others by the former Chief Secretary, Mr. Shravan Kumar, Dr. V. K. Bawa, former Vice Chairman of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, Mr. R. Rajamani, former Secretary, Union Environment Ministry, Mr. Y. V. Pai of WWF-India, Capt. J. Rama Rao, former president of the Society for Preservation of Environment and Quality of Life (SPEQL), Dr. C. Ramachandraiah of the Centre for Economics and Social Studies (CESS), social activists, faculty members of the Hyderabad Central University and Hyderabad Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Capt. Rama Rao said that after the completion of Necklace Road, reclamation and encroachment of vast stretches, the Hussain Sagar lake, which was spread over 446 hectares till the 1970s, got shrunk to 350 hectares. The Necklace Road, flaunted as an alternative link, did not serve its intended purpose, there being not many takers.

Dr. Bawa said by and large the Government has been ignoring the Master Plan and the Zonal Development Plans and granting exemptions indiscriminately. Mr. K. Purushottam Reddy of Citizens Against Pollution said if the present dispensation's Vision 2020 is implemented, the lake will turn into a concrete jungle with the Buddha's statue standing amidst it!.

Dr. Ramachandraiah said the citizens are being misled to believe that all these are based on the Singapore model. The fact was that most of the tourist attractions there were on Sentosa Island away from the main the city. The night safari there was adjacent to the zoo and both are away from city. Singapore has one of the best public transport systems and a number of restrictions on use of private transport. ``What we are witnessing in Hyderabad is in total contrast'', he added.

Capt. Rama Rao recalled that the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority vide GO No. 1047 dated September 8, 1981 had formulated Buddhapurnima scheme with the objective of saving the lake from encroachments, preserving the ecology and aesthetics of the water body through landscaping methods. Experts then had made it clear that not more than five per cent of the total area on foreshore area of lakes should be allowed for buildings. But going by the present proposals, the entire foreshore area will be full of concrete structures.

These are amusement park (2 acres), open air theatre (2 acres) and State Museum (3 acres) in Sanjeevaiah Park, India International Centre adjacent to Sailing Club (2 acres), International Convention Centre on Minister's Road (20-30 acres) and food courts in Indira Park.

The State Government should also not forget that the Hussain Sagar lake is one of the 21 urban lakes selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for conservation under the National Lake Conservation Plan in 1995.

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh had in its landmark judgement in a writ petition filed against the allotment of Indira Park land for former Chief Minister, Dr. M. Channa Reddy 's memorial had observed that ``the city is already breathing less than the required breath and further depletion by acts of the State, of the lung space of the city will make the breathing more difficult''.

It had taken the view that conversion of parks to other uses, would violate the rights under Articles 21 and 14 of the Constitution.

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