Representative image.

HYDERABAD: In a bid to enhance the city's green cover , the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to develop 100 new parks across Hyderabad.While the authorities have already identified 30 locations for this exercise, another 70 are yet to be identified, said civic officials.

“The GHMC is planning to set up these parks at an estimated cost of `100 crore in all the circles of GHMC. The project will be executed during the financial year 2017-18,“ said Damodar V , director, (Urban Biodiversity Department), GHMC.

As per the design, all the parks will have walking paths, plantations and benches.Washrooms, recreational rooms and additional amenities will be thrown in at certain locations, depending on the spa ce allocated for the park. These facilities will be maintained by the GHMC along with colony associations.

While 75 per cent of the maintenance cost will be provided by the civic body the remaining 25 per cent will be paid by the government, officials added.

“The expenditure to construct a park ranges from `8 lakh to `10 lakh. Depending on the size and amenities, the expenditure might at times shoot up to `15 lakh too,“ said a GHMC official from the Urban Biodiversity Department, adding that the maximum number of parks have been allocated to the city's central zone. A total of eight open plots have been identified in this belt, he added.

While the GHMC's move was welcomed by residents across Hyderabad, they hoped that the civic authorities paid enough attention to maintain them as well. “The mainte nance of the parks is the most important thing because otherwise they serve no purpose. In fact, there are a few parks in Malakpet that have turned into a den for alcoholics over time.

So, the authorities should ensure that every park either has a watchman or is monitored by members of the colony association,“ said Srinivas G , a resident of Malakpet.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, questioned the intent of the government while highlighting how the same administration is bulldozing existing green spaces in the name of development.

“First you destroy what you have and then you pump in crores of rupees to build similar facilities. How does this even make sense? The government must reflect on this attitude of theirs,“ said a senior green activists.

