Express News Service By

HYDERABAD: After the Old City, which the government plans to transform into an ‘Istanbul’, the surroundings of Hussainsagar are all set to be dotted with skyscrapers ala Malaysia.

The surroundings of Hussainsagar might all likely to be glittering with towers of 60-100 floors. These towers would house government offices, commercial complexes and also entertainment zones.

This transformation, from a place which stinks of chemical effluents and sewer, to a civil engineering wonder is part of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s plans to develop the surroundings of Hussainsagar.

Rao, on Wednesday, reviewed with revenue officials about the development activities on the surroundings of Hussainsagar lake. “Apart from cleansing the lake from chemicals and making it into a drinking water body, skyscrapers should come all along the stretch of vacant lands abutting the lake,” he told the officials.

Using Google Maps, the CM inspected the vacant and government lands on the stretch of road from Boats Club abutting Ambedkar statue to Necklace Road, Jala Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar, Sanjeevaiah Park, Secunderabad Boats Club, Marriot Hotel, DBR Mills, Lower Tank Bund and Secretariat.

The land of closed DBR Mills, opposite Mariott Hotel, the vacant land between Necklace Road and railway track, Ambedkar Nagar, land in Sanjeevaiah Park and the land adjacent to Jal Vihar are proposed for constructing the skyscrapers.

Asking the revenue officials to immediately swing into action and get details of the lands, Rao said his government has grand plans to develop Hyderabad on par with international standards, and skyscrapers and high-rise towers are a part of it.

“There are several advantages of skyscrapers. Using minimum land, various facilities can be provided. They can house government offices, commercial complexes and also entertainment zones,” Rao opined and said the Petronas Towers in Kaulalampur in Malaysia and the ones on the shores of Mumbai are best examples. Five star hotels and tourist rest houses can also come up in these towers.

Rao said many firms would come forward to take up construction of such towers and promised to modify the rules that come as a hindrance for the high-rises.

He asked the officials to look into whether the government constructs the towers and leases them to private operators or engages private firms to construct them.

Rao, however, asked the officials to ensure that entertainment zones like Jal Vihar, Lumbini Park and others are left untouched and continue to provide entertainment to people. “They should, in fact, be developed to meet international standards,” he said. With respect to poor people residing in and around Hussainsagar, Rao proposed that the people of Ambedkar Nagar can be shifted to a special tower that the government will construct.