CM launches new body for Hyderabad development

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, launched the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) whose mandate will be to bring about a holistic development of the mega city.

The jurisdiction of the new body spreads across 7,000 sq km encompassing a populace of 76 lakh and would be about twice the size of Goa, he said.

After laying the foundation stone for HMDA Office at Hitex in Madhapur, Dr Reddy described the occasion of HMDA launch as historic.

He said the new body will keep pace with challenges of growth related to rapid urbanisation in the metropolis. With an increasing urban flux, it is now faced with the task of creating additional infrastructure and amenities such as drinking water, sewerage, garbage disposal system and adequate transportation, both rail and road, to meet the growing requirements.

The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which paved way for HMDA, was carved out as an urban authority 32 years ago and gradually expanded to become a metropolitan development body.

To ensure a regulated growth, HMDA has the mandate to build and encourage creation of necessary infrastructure with a long-term perspective. Within next 30 years, the city population could double, he said.

Among priorities for the authority, the focus is on dedicated drinking water supply, which includes completion of second phase of Krishna and 120 million gallons a day from Godavari. The latter project is in the process of attracting developers through tenders.

Due to changes and rapid growth in and around Hyderabad, land value in the districts of Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar, Warangal, Medak and Nalgonda has gone up, Dr Reddy said.

With the change in mandate, the new authority would not only have the role of developing master plan with related infrastructure, including road networks but also coordinating with other public agencies.

Its new jurisdictions include National Highway 7-Toopran, NH-7 Shadnagar and other roads. The jurisdiction of the authority has expanded to 16 mandals in Hyderabad, along with mandals in some of the adjacent districts.