FORFORFORFORFORUMUMUMUMUM

FOR A BETTER

HYDERABAD

Nine Years of Activism & Service

Annual NumberAnnual NumberAnnual NumberAnnual NumberAnnual Number

2008-20092008-20092008-20092008-20092008-2009

Published byFORUM FOR A BETTER HYDERABAD

17, Street No. 3, Umanagar, Begumpet, Hyderabad-500 016Tel: (0091-40) 27636214, Fax: 27635644,

E-mail: betterhyd@yahoo.co.in Website: www.hyderabadgreens.org

Azamabad, Hyderabad.

Printed at

Golconda Photo on Cover, CourtesySri. B. Narsing Rao, Film Maker

Cover Inset Photographs bySri. T. Swamy

Cover Design byCharita Impressions, Hyderabad.

FORUM FOR A BETTER HYDERABADAdvisors

Sri.B.P.R.Vitthal,IAS.,(retd.,) Former Chief Secretary, Govt.of Andhra PradeshSri.J.M.Lyngdoh,IAS., (retd.,) Former Chief Election Commissioner of India

Executive CommitteeSri.M.Vedakumar PresidentSri.M.H.Rao Vice-PresidentSri.Omim Maneckshaw Debara General SecretaryDr. V. B. J. Rao Chelikani TreasurerSmt.Sanghamitra Malik Joint SecretaryDr. V. K. Bawa, IAS (R) E.C. MemberDr.M.Mandal E.C.MemberSmt. Indira Lingam E.C. MemberMrs. Frauke Quader E.C MemberDr.Kulsum Reddy E.C.Member

Committee Convenor1. Urban Management Mr. O.M.Debara,

Capt Manohar Sharma2. Heritage, Culture and Musi River Mr.M.Vedakumar3. Water bodies, Water supply Solid waste Mrs. Sanghamitra

and Drainage, Malik, Dr. JasveenJairath

4. Traffic and transportation management Mr. R.K.Sinha,Mr.Deepankar Dutta

5. Pollution Mr. Umesh Varma,Mr.O.M.Debara

6. Right to Information Act (RTA) Dr.M.Mandal7. Forest and Wild life Mr. M.H.Rao,

Mrs Farida Tampal8. Housing related Dr. V.B.J.Rao Chelikani

Mr. S.Jeevankumar9. Ganesh Immersion Dr. Kulsum Reddy10. Rock Formations Mrs. Frauke Quader11. Solid Waste Management Mrs.Indiralingam,

Mrs.Sanghamitra Malik

EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE

Mr.R.K.SinhaMr.K.Prabhakar

Mrs. K. Shyamala

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Capt.J.Rama Rao, (I.N., Retd.,) V.S.M, FBHMr. R.Rajamani, IAS (R)Dr.V.K.Bawa, IAS (R), Centre for Deccan StudiesMr.Sarvothama Rao,IFS(R),SPEQL.Mr.M.H.Rao, EnvironmentalistMr.Naram Krishan Rao, Former Chief Enginner, P.H.Dr..M.Mandal, Managing Trustee, Hum SabHindustani TrustMr.M.Vedakumar, Engineer, Urban & Regional PlannerMr.Omim Maneckshaw Debara, IIPE, COPESDr. V.B.J.Chelikani Rao, President, Tarnaka Residents’Welfare AssociationMs.C.Kulsum Reddy, Concerned Citizens.Ms.Sanghamitra Malik, Secretary, Apna WatanMs.Frauke Quader, Society to Save Rocks.Ms.Indira Lingam, Jubliee Hills Civic Exnora.Dr.Jasveen Jairath, Convenor, Concerned Citizen’sMr.R.K.Sinha, Retired Principal, State Bank, Inst. ofRural Dev.Ms.Farida Tampal, State Director,WWF.Mr.Mazher Hussain, Director, COVAMr.K.S.Murthy, Advocate.Mr.C.Ramachandraiah, CESSCapt.Manohar Sharma. President, Uma NagarResidents’ Welfare associationMr.S.Jeevan Kumar, Convenor, CHATRIProf..Kodarkar, M.S., Member, Sci-Com, ILEC, Japan,Sr.S.Selvin Mery, Co-ordinator, CHATRI.Mr.R.Ravi,SamataMr.Ali Asghar, Director, EED, COVAMr.M.Kamal Naidu, IFS(R),W.W.F.-APMr.B.Ramakrishnam Raju,A.P.,Convenor, NAPMMr.Afzal, PUCCARMr.T.Dharma Rao, Chief Engineer (R)Mr.Mohammed Turab, Executive Secretary, COVA.Mr.Umesh Varma,Mr.K.Vijayaraghavan, MMTS Travellers GroupMr.K.Umapathy,IAS(R),INTACH.Mr.Asheesh Pitti, Birdwatchers Society of A.P.,Mr.Anil C.Dayakar, GAMANA.Ms.Rani Sharma.Mr.Narendra Luther, IAS (R), Society to Save Rocks.Mr.Dipankar Dutta,

Mr.M.Gopal Krishna, INTACH.Mr.Sagar Dhara, Director, Ceram FoundationMr.Siraj A.Teher, Birdwatchers Society of A.P.,Prof.K.Purshotham Reddy,Osmania University.Mr.Shravan Kumar, IAS(R) INTACH.Mr.A.H.Moosvi, IFS(R), Former PCCF,AP.Dr.K.Babu Rao,Scientist,CCMB.Dr.K.L.Vyas,Osmania University.Mr.K.Prabhakar, Children’s Educational AcademyDr.Satyalakshmi Rao, Red Cross Institute of Yoga.Mr.Saugath Ganguli, GAMANA.Ms.Sheela Prasad,University of Hyderabad.Ms.Arshea SultanaMs.Kanthi Kannan, The Right to Walk FoundationDr.Yerram Raju, AcademicMr.Sajjad Shahid, INTACHMs.P.Anuradha Reddy, SPEQLDr.Chenna Basavaiah, Convenor, MADAMr.G.K.B.Chowdary,JETLMr.P.Janardhan Reddy, SPEQL.Mr.K.V.Krishnamachari,Lion.S.DhananjayaMs.Maya Anavartham.Dr.K.Mutyam Reddy,Registrar,O.U.Mr.T.Vijayendra, EnvironmentalistMs.G.Moti Kumari, AP.U.N.A.Mr.V.Gopal Rao, Alochana VedikaMs.Asha Dua.Dr.Arun K.Patnaik.Mr.Bada Binjafar, Social Welfare SocietyMs.Nandita Sen, Society to Save Rocks.Mr.V.Nagulu,Osmania University.Dr.D.Narasimha Reddy, President, Chetana SocietyMr.P.Narayan Rao, Environmentalist.Mr.K.V.Narayana, CESSMr.Rashid AhmedMr.K.Narasimha Reddy, Ex-MLA (Bhuvanagiri)Mr.Praveen,Vice Admiral KASZ Raju,SPEQL.Mr.N.Rajeshwar Rao,Samata.Mr.R.K.Rao, IFS (R) Former PCCF, A.P., Mr.G.B.Reddy, Contonment/SPEQLMs.Saraswati Rao,M.S.D.

FORUM MEMBERS, ASSOCIATED INDIVIDUALS & ORGANISATIONS.

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Mr.A.Srinivas.Mr.Narasimham, ArchitectMr.Solaman Raju, GAMANAMs.Kalyana Schlapper.Mr.H.D.Srinivas.Ms.S.Kalyani.Mr.T.ChakradharMs.Champak RaoCol.N.A.KumarMr.S.R.Vijayakar.Ms.Devi Rao.Mr.S.Srinivasa Reddy, Project Director, APSAMr.Adarsh Srivastava, Social ActivistMr.Mahesh,Musi life.Mr.Vishnu Kumar, SPA, JNTU

Mr.N.V.WonkarMr.P.C.MenonMr.Abbas MoosviMr.Mortuza MoosviMr.P.S.N.PrasadMs.Latha RaoMr.R.Sheshagiri RaoDr.Sarosh BastawalaMr.B.Shiva SrinivasMr.V.Yella ReddyMr.Omer KhanMr.KamalakarMs.AshwiniMr.G.Nagamohan, Artist

Networked:

* APNAWATAN * COVA - Confederation of Voluntary Agencies * CHATRI – Campaign for Housingand Terminal Rights * APSA * CONCERNED CITIZENS * CHETANA SOCIETY * CITIZEN’S FORBETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORT (TRANSPORTATION) * CHILDREN’S EDUCATION ACADEMY(CEA) * CHELIMI FOUNDATION * DECCAN DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY.* DELOITTE **IAAB ,Hyd* THE RIGHT TO WALK FOUNDATION * * GAMANA * HYDERABAD ACTIONGROUP.* HELP * INTACH, HYDERABAD CHAPTER.* INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERS,A.P.* JANAVIGNANA VEDIKA. * MOVEMENT AGAINST URANIUM PROJECT (MAUP) * MMTSTRAVELLERS GROUP * FORUM FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT * PLANETARYSOCIETY OF INDIA * SAVE ROCKS SOCIETY * TARNAKA RESIDENTIAL WELFAREASSOCIATION * TURAGA FOUNDATION * UMANAGAR RESIDENT’S WELFAREASSOCIATION * FORUM FOR A BETTER VISHAKA * M.V.FOUNDATION, * NAPM * UNITEDFEDERATION OF RESIDENTIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS (F-FERWAS) * BIRD WATCHERS’SOCIETY * SAVE LAKES SOCIETY, Hyd * APEC GROUP * HERITAGE WATCH * V.K.DHAGENAGAR WELFARE SOCIETY, Hyd. * SAAKSHI * SPEQL

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FOREWORD 9By. Er. Vedakumar. M

POLITICS & DEVELOPMENT 11Elections 2009 :Where is the green party ?-by Sunita NarainIndian Experience has demonstrated the Limits of Political Democracy-by Dr V.B.J.Rao Chelikani 13

GOOD OLD HYDERABADHyderabad – The changed Environment-by M.Kamal Naidu 18I live in Hyderabad:I have many names –by Sanghamitra Malik 21He tamed River Musi - by C. Sarvotham Rao 22

HERITAGEGolconda Fort and Golf Course-by Dr.M. Mandal 25“Heritage and Environment –An Indian Diary-Hyderabad”-by Shyam Chainani 39I am no messiah, but only a tamarind tree –by Sanghamitra Malik 42Representations dt 28.8.08 to the Chief Secretary, re; G-Block in Secretariat 43The Musi charter-by Sajjad Shahid 45

ENVIRONMENT& DEVELOPMENTDevelopment and Environment-by Capt.J.Rama Rao 48Cuba’s Lesson for the World-by Megan Quinn Bachman 49A brand new climate change agenda for Delhi-by Smriti Kak Ramachandran 54The Earth, My Poem 55

WATER BODIES, LAKES & WATER SUPPLYUnited Nations Environment Programme - WWDR3 side publication onEcosystem Management by -Dr.M.S.Kodarkar 56The Killing of the Secret Lake-by Deepankar Dutta 60HMDA Notification on Protection of Major Lakes in Huda Area. 61Water is too precious to be wasted! 66The Bholakpur Incident –by Naram Krishna Rao and D.Pala 67Panni Hai Kahan –by Sanghamitra Malik 69Representation dt 10.11.08 to Chief Minister re :GO 111-Threats to S.Jeevananda Reddy 70Representation dt 21.10.08 to HMDA re:GO 111 74

CONTENTS

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ROCK FORMATIONSNotification of 15 Rock sites under Heritage Regulations-by Ms.Frauke Quader 76

TREES CONSERVATIONA struggle for Tree Conservation: Achievements and Tasks Ahead –by Dr.M.Mandal 78GO:Rt.No-539 dt 11.12.08 92

WASTE MANAGEMENTRepresentation dt 24.01.09 to APPCB re: Fire accident in TSDF, Dundigal 96

GANESH IMMERSION &POLLUTIONGaneshji ko humse kuch kahene hai –by Sanghamitra Malik 97Ganesh Immersion –A report by OM.Debara 98

TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATIONIntegrated Transport System- A solution to Hyderabad’s Traffic Woes ?-by K.Vijayraghavan 99Aspects of Road safety in Hyderabad city –by Abhishek Richhariya 101Representation dt. 24-2-09 to GHMC re: Master Plan of MCH area 102

POLLUTIONPattancheru Pollution-Bhopal in the making in Hyderabad? 103

CASES FILED IN THE COURT DURING 2008-09 104FBH Newsletter : 1 106

GENERAL SECRETARY ‘S REPORT-by OM.Debara 110

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The FORUM’s Objectives are:

� To be proactive and constructive

� To mobilize public opinion

� To stand up and make it heard on major issues exposing lack of concern or neglect

of environmental consideration.

� To involve in decision-making on such issues.

The FORUM is focused on issues pertaining to Sustainable Development by

highlighting the ecological and environmental problems caused by uncaring and

unthinking developmental activities disregarding required prior assessment.

The Voice of the FORUM is being echoed from the past seven years in many

Public Interest Areas, contributing significantly to the betterment of environmental/

ecological concerns.

The FORUM is functioning through various subcommittees, and net working with

NGOs, bringing to light issues pertaining to Urban Planning, Development and

Management, Heritage Conservation, Lakes & Water Bodies, Parks, Forests and Open

Space, Traffic & Transportation, Water & Air Pollution, Solid & Industrial Waste

Management.

These and many other relevant issues are brought to the notice of the Authorities

(and if required pressurizing them to take action) offering positive suggestions and

optimum solutions. The FORUM also has the credit of Public Interest Litigations

whenever called for, and we are proud to say that in most cases the FORUM filing has

been successful in its endeavors.

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During this year also, the Forum continued to

work for sustainable development : for the

conservation of heritages and preservation of

environment of environment , so as to improve the

quality of life. The challenges to heritage and

environment have multiplied and, therefore, the

Forum’s tasks have also increased manifold.

The creeping urbanization has affected the

environment with the mass destruction of trees to

make way for roads and widening of existing roads

in the name of development. In this connection the

Forum has successfully negotiated with the

authorities to lay down specific regulations under

which trees could be conserved and cutting to be

considered only as a last resort, as an integral part of

planning for development by all concerned

authorities.

Unplanned development and

commercialization without vision is threatening the

heritages of the city, its unique selling proposition as

a site for international and national tourism. Further,

there have been instances where the custodians of

heritages / monuments are not getting support for

protecting heritages from the law-enforcing

authorities, and are even unable to execute court

orders. This phenomenon is recent but is a threat to

Hyderabad’s future image.

The Forum has taken up many issues and

successfully represented to the authorities its concerns

FOREWORDEr. Vedakumar M.

President, Forum For A Better Hyderabad

and representations to make Hyderabad a sustainable

city. In some cases, the Forum has to go to the court.

The Forum is working with the support of several

NGO’s and other organizations. The collective efforts

of these organizations like COVA, CHATRI, U-

FERWA, APNA WATAN, CONCERNED

CITIZENS, GAMANA, URTI, CHILDRENS’

ACADEMY, SAVE ROCKS SOCIETY, CITIZENS

FOR BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORT,

UMANAGAR RESIDENTS’ WELFARE

ASSOCIATION etc.., in association with and in

support of the Forum’s own efforts , are creating a

significant movement on the lines of a confederation

while tackling several issues with government

departments.

� Forum addressed many issues during this year

like encroachments of lakes, cutting of trees ,

loss of heritage buildings, fire accidents like

Dundigal Solid Waste Plant (Ramki), Secretariat

Building , etc., water contamination like at

Bholakpur .

� The Master Plan for the city extending from

HUDA limits to Metropolitan area is still under

preparation and HMDA is now preparing a

Draft Master Plan for the erstwhile MCH area,

remaining other 4 master plans are already

notified , Forum has given its views to the

concerned departments for integrated approach

and also insisted on the regional plan.

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� PIL against Building Penalisation scheme

� Forum has come forward to bring out a news

letter once in two months, to reach different

sections of people, civil society groups,

institutions, etc., for wider involvement of the

people.

� The Forum’s president actively participated in

the State Election Watch. This increased the

visibility of the Forum.

** *

The Forum expresses its gratitude to Sri. K.Srinivasa Murthy and Sri.Mohan Rao for theirvaluable and timely legal service.

It is my privilege to acknowledge gratefully thesilent and strong efforts of all who are working forthe Forum in various ways.

We have traversed a long way certainly , but thereis much more to be done and we humbly requestthe involvement of more and more number ofcommitted and young people to join our fight on a

larger number of issues for the greater good of society.

Hussain Sagar Stakeholders meeting organised by HMDA

Sri. M. Vedakumar sharing views with theparticipants, Sri. K. S. Jawar Reddy Commissioner

HMDA & other officials are present

Stakeholder Participants

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Whenever election to India’s Lok Sabhaapproaches, two questions tend to emerge: Whenwill India get a green party? Are environmental issuesimportant in our elections? The answers areinterlinked; they relate to the nature of the Indianelectoral system as well as the nature of India’senvironmental concerns.

Our parliamentary democracy borrows itsstructure from the Westminster system of first-past-the-post, which makes it difficult for any pan-Indiaissue-based party to succeed. For instance, it is nosurprise there exists a Green Party in Germany thateven comes to power within a coalition government,but cannot in UK. Some years ago, in elections tothe European parliament, the UK Green Party got asubstantial percentage of votes. In other words, thereis a green concern in the UK, but because of UK’selectoral system, the concern cannot translate into apresence in Parliament.

Of course, it is also true, in Europe, the greenagenda has been incorporated as a set of mainstreamissues by all parties—Left, Right or centre. All parties,for instance, do accept the need to protect theenvironment, to mitigate emissions, necessary totackle climate change and even agree to invest in low-carbon technologies such as renewables and hybridvehicles. The challenge these governments face, oncevoted to power, is whether they can bite the bulletand make the structural alterations in their economythat climate change imperatives demand. This hasbeen, and remains, Europe’s green Waterloo.

Consider, in this light, the conservativegovernment of Germany’s Angela Merkel. TheChristian Democratic Union took on the Green Partyagenda so totally that it almost marginalized thelatter. But now, when the government has to takesome tough decisions about acting on climate change,

Elections 2009: Where is the green party?

Editorial by Smt.Sunita Narain in “Down to Earth” – April 30, 2009

on the one hand, and move fast on the economy andjob-losses, its true anything-but-green colours areshowing. The German government which once stoodfor matters green is now backtracking—it’s seekingemissions allowance for big industry, giving theautomobile industry benefits in terms of subsidiesto car owners to buy new vehicles, even lobbyinghard for time for this industry to tighten fuelefficiency standards.

It is the same in the case of Australia, where,interestingly, the major political party, the AustralianLabor Party, came to power saying it was against theenvironmentally-hostile policies of its opponent (theJohn Howard government). But now the Labor Partyis in power, its actions on environment and climatechange are even more pathetic than its predecessor’s.It is tough to walk the talk, when it comes toreinventing the economy for real change. It will beno surprise (it will definitely be disappointing) ifBarack Obama finds he, too, has little room to makethe changes he has so persuasively promised us all.

For us in India, the issue is similar, yet different.Green issues, including climate change, have made itto all major party manifestos. The Congress, the BJPand the CPI(M) all promise to protect theenvironment, check river pollution and invest inrenewable energy systems for a low-carbon economy.There are even nuances and differences in approach.The BJP, for instance, says it will also protect thetiger and other wild animals through a permanenttask force, while the CPI(M) says it will review theEnvironmental Impact Assessment draft notification,which is seen as industry-friendly. All pure green issueshave been listed and there is a minimum commonagreement on this matter.

Here, I have questions: are these so-called puregreen issues really the core environmental issues that

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need to be addressed? Can these be addressed withouttackling the key issues of growth and economicchange? Such questions directly lead to the nature ofIndia’s environmental concern. The fact is in ourcountry, the bulk of the people depend on theenvironment—the land, the water, the forests—fortheir survival. The core environmental issue is toincrease the productivity of these natural resourcesin a sustainable manner and to ensure the benefits ofthe increased productivity go to local people, sobuilding a local economy and livelihood. It is aboutinvesting in the resources of the poor. It is about thepolitical framework—the rough-and-tumble ofgovernance—in which this investment will benefitpeople and build green futures.

We need to care about the pollution of our riversbecause people depend on them for drinking waterand for survival. We need to revise our strategy fordevelopment because these projects take away land,or forests, critical for livelihood security. We need toinvest in decentralized water or energy systems so thatwe can minimize the damage to the local

environment and provide access to resources to all,not some.

But this is where political party manifestos getfrayed on the green-edge. It is easy to talk about greenissues—particularly those the middle-class of Indiaunderstands as green. But it is difficult to join thedots—to show how the country will green itseconomy itself, so that it can provide growth for all,without compromising on the present and the futuregenerations.

Interestingly, but also predictably, no manifestodiscusses how parties intend to deepen democracy inIndia—move it from the representative nature, whichexists even in the Panchayati Raj system, to aparticipatory system. The green agenda demands thatlocal communities must have rights over theirresources and that participatory democracy—throughthe strengthening of gram sabhas, for instance—mustwork. The green agenda is a political agenda, not atechnocratic laundry list.

This is why it is easy, here, to look like a greenparty but not promise a ‘green revolution’

***

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Indian Experience has demonstrated the Limits of Political Democracy10 Observations to Move Towards Sustainable Human Development

Dr.V.B.J.Rao Chelikani

I. Analysis of The Context:

India, 70 years ago, has opted for a democraticsystem of political governance, intending to emergeout of a feudal and colonial society. At that time, theprevailing best system, we knew of, is theRepresentative Parliamentary system to handle theState’s power. This system has its roots in theNineteenth century British economic and socialconditions and is a very unique product of theirhistorical struggle to control political power. Further,at that time, democracy meant mainly politicaldemocracy i.e. who takes final political decisions inthe state. At that time, a majority of the people wereilliterate, ignorant, fatalistic and dependent. It wasconsidered that they should choose and give theirconsent through their vote to a middleman, more asa representative of the General Will of the people,rather than as a delegate to fulfill a certain number ofmandated tasks. Such a system is still surviving inthe United Kingdom on the strength of their longpolitical traditions of resistance to authority, respectfor human rights, collective desire for tolerant co-existence, pursuance of common objectives ofeconomic development and high levels of human andsocial capital. Though such a system transplanted ina big and diverse country like India has, initially,helped the political transformation, it remained anundigested laborious process. For the past 60 years,it preserved the formal political framework, in tact,though the spirit of democracy has not evolved much.This is largely due to the magnitude of the exercisein a highly diverse and steeply-rooted traditionalsociety. However, the achievements are that thecountry remained a single entity, integrated withoutany class struggles and without any re-chute intodiverse kingdoms and theocracies.

But, here stops the positive note. The politicaldemocracy remained static While the whole world

around is fast changing, the country is dragging itsfeet in accomplishing an integral transformation tostep into the 21st century. Economic transformationsare taking place and are dove-tailing social and culturalchanges, in spite of political mismanagement. Thereis a lot of inefficiency in human efforts and wastageof energies. However, the whole society is clamouringfor a vision resolutely turned towards economic andsocial development. Far from aiding an integratedtransformation, the present formal medieval politicalmindset has become an obstacle. Politicians andpolitical parties are the least trusted in our society.Their ranking is lower than that of the Police. Theyare performing very poorly in a domain that isexclusively theirs i.e. legislation and policy-making.Many are not competent and those competent areinterested in politics and not in governance. In short,the politicians will not be able to deliver the goods.

Our political structures badly need renovationinto a new political architecture that fits into thefuture. Such a design should integrate social, cultural,above all, economic democracy, in such a way thatpolitical democracy serves as a means to promotesocial, cultural and economic development in aharmonious manner. We need to dethrone thepolitical power from its pedestal as a centre ofobsession in human relations. It means governanceof human relations in their diverse aspects shouldhave, other than the political framework, severalsources of inspiration and reference. To-day, ourrelations are ultimately governed by laws made bythe State and they are backed power, which in itsturn means the threat of brute force. Politics in sucha formal political democracy looks like the game ofthe gladiators. Ambitious people, having that aloneas a qualification, vie with each other to capture powerand retain it as long as possible in their hands; intheir individual hands, in their family, in their caste,

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in their religion, in their region, in that order ofpossibility. This has been hindering human progressin many fields

There are limits beyond which politicaldemocracy cannot give good governance. Betterhuman relations need more economic, social andcultural democracy. Of course, one should,nevertheless recognize the merits of politicaldemocracy without which, in our long history, it hasnot been possible to have any improvement in humanrelations. But, to-day, it is a different war that wehave to wage. This is not political struggle and politicaltools as they are currently exercised in India are notable to help obtain the transformation. . Theenormous human and social capital that is beingaccumulated in the society is not being shared as weare not applying appropriate technologies ofcommunication and exchange. People are not beinggiven the tools and the skills to utilize them. This ishere that social, economic and cultural democracymakes sense, both as means and an end.

II. The Missing Links:

a) Lack of continuous social development is pullingour society back into political feudalism. Since,progress in social democracy is only slowly takingplace, people who were under disadvantaged socialsituations for centuries, when they, by automaticmechanisms and arithmetic electoral logic cometo power, they are trying to imitate and enjoy thepower exercised by the medieval rajahs andzamindars, under whose domination they sufferedfor ages. It is, probably, a transitional period ofhistorical revenge, vaguely reflecting the classstruggle. Newly-acquired power is a means to gate-crash into a society of recognition and opulence.Modern consumerism and its ways help to expressour itch for commanding goods and services, justto be inferior to none, add to this quest for power.It is possible to quench such a thirst only in astate of political democracy. From this point ofview, we can say that many Indians own theirdemocracy, without knowing it. Reviving casteand making social backwardness, a justificationto acquire power and maintaining social cleavages

in order to maintain oneself in power, areindications of the present lack of socialdevelopment. Reservations are being perpetuated,without decreasing them with the proportionatedecrease in the discriminations. Some ‘soft’ poweris needed to build bonds of affinity amongdifferent communities in the society and notpolitical concessions. Thus, social under-development and arithmetic political democracyare caught in a vicious circle of cause andconsequence.

b) Similarly, due to slow growth in economicdemocracy, week people for their survival-needs,others with a devouring ambition to become rich,and rich people to protect and maintain theirriches, are perverting political democracy for theirnarrow interests, which are turning out to beagainst the general interest of the entire society.Politicians promise free things that have nosustainablility to the poor to keep them undertheir protection and the middle classes and therich who approach them get things done bytwisting and bending the rules and regulationsFurther, rich people buy politicians or buy politicalacts that benefit them.. That is how ‘powerful’politicians are made and elevated to posts ofauthority. It implies a lot of unproductiveexpenditure of public money, unwillingness onthe part of those who earn to pay taxes and seekevasion of contribution to the society for socialsolidarity and in all-pervasive corruption.Economic progress is hindered by bureaucraticdelays and corruption. Equal opportunities are notavailable under the rule of law, as theimplementation of the laws is twisted to suit thosewho are in power. If poor people, who used powerto become rich, leave the ladder of social ascensionto others to mount similarly, then, even thisformal political democracy becomes acceptable.But, on the other hand, people are using powerto become rich and then using the riches to captureand retain power in their hands, leaving no roomfor others to similarly accumulate wealth in thesociety. The vested interests of big land-owners,who are not cultivators themselves, people who

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inherit huge fortunes, and industrialists who feelno social responsibility, those who live and thriveupon un-earned incomes and those whoaccumulate untaxed black money are preventingeconomic changes that can give more and betteropportunities for those who are suffering.

Yet, there are positive changes in this area whichare of great solace to those concerned about thefuture of our society. There is a new economicculture on the horizon along with the trends ofglobalization, liberalization and privatization. Itis a culture of hard work, production andconsumption, though opposed by religioushypocrisy and leftist prejudices. But, our politicalclass is either ignorant or inefficient in graspingthe economic realities and to promote equaleconomic opportunities for all. It is moreinterested in public expenditure than in publicincome for obvious reasons. As we have witnessed,recently, during the 15th round of general electionsin Andhra Pradesh, politicians are not there toeliminate poverty, but they are there to get electedbecause there are poor people. More the numberof poor people in a society, easier is the task ofthe politicians. In the modern world, poor peopledo not want to remain poor so that they canreceive charities and freebies, but they wantopportunities to become rich and enjoy life. To-day, we find that it is possible only in a freemarket economy and only by those who arealready active in the economic activities. Thus,our political democracy is impoverishing thesociety and not promoting economic democracy.

c) There is a total vacuum, at present, in our society,as far as cultural democracy is concerned. Bycultural democracy, we mean spontaneous respectand attention to each human being coming fromthe heart and not as a political right. It is not aproduct of political or state compulsion oropportunism or a result of negotiations of quidpro quo. It is an exchange of opportunities andcommunications to enrich each other culturally.In addition to the urge to explore newopportunities, the realization of the need to share

the existing opportunities is indispensable. Thefact that personal good cannot be enjoyed withoutit being commensurate with the collective good,has to be ingrained in all human effort.

In a democracy, law is made for the good of all,including the personal good of each individual.They are made by ourselves and, therefore, weshould profoundly believe in them, and not,simply, bear with them, because we cannot avoidthem. All political, administrative and otherpublic institutions are our own and we shouldfeel that their successes as well as the failures areour own successes and failures. We should not besatisfied with criticizing them. We, in our society,often, search for examples of deviation so as tojustify our own deviations.

Democracy is a regime in which all the sovereigncitizens govern themselves while respecting thesovereignty of each individual. A politicaldemocracy exists where the government issovereign, where as, a cultural democracy startsthriving where each individual is empowered tobe a sovereign. By sovereignty, we mean, theability to take one’s own decisions in order toshape one’s own destiny. In our politicaldemocracy, unfortunately, it is the politicalmiddleman who is made powerful instead ofempowering the citizen. The masters are changing,while the subjects remain constant. This is not aself-ruling democracy but a consent democracy.The distinction between the ruler and the ruled ismaintained assiduously. Thus, it looks as though,our political democracy hates cultural democracy,since the latter means self-negation or self-defeaton the part of the representative.

Unless, the civil society is directly and constantlyinvolved in the governance, at all levels, a regimeof politicians is not a democratic regime. Onlyself-respected citizens can respect and protect othercitizens from exploitation and oppression. Powershould not and cannot be the ultimate regulatorof noble human relations. The regulating or there-conciliating force should be something else:liberty, love, affection, compassion, social

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solidarity, fraternity, trust, companionship,emotional needs, mutual dependence, mutualdiscovery and partnership in innovation or insharing an adventure, a goal or a vision. But, notcompetition or fear of the other. Individual orgroup identities or minority status should not becultivated only for the purposes of arithmeticaldemocratic gains; it should be, basically, forpersonal or social cultural enrichment. Dr. B. R.Ambedkar’s conversion into Buddhism is onesuch positive statement.

If a culture, existing in a society is not shared bythose who are living there, then, there will beconflicts and shooting up of new identities withdifferent cultural practices leading, often, toconflicting human relations. Therefore, it is theduty of the elite in the society that their culture isshared and enjoyed by all sections of the society.This has not happened in India in the past. But,modern culture is easy to share with all, therebyfacilitating cultural integration and harmony.

III. Ten Observations To Find A Solution:

In view of the above, we can come to thefollowing observations for further reflection in orderto promote sustainable human development:

1. We have to explore alternative and additionalmeans of varied representation of the people otherthan the present system of only demographic andterritorial representation. For example, all sociallyuseful professional activity should be present inthe law making process.

2. The legislative councils and Rajya Sabha wherethere is, at preent, some category-wiserepresentation can be enlarged and varied, withequal, if not more powers than to the legislativeassemblies, where the representatives have nowealth-creating qualifications.

3. In some cases, like in local governance, especiallyin urban areas, middlemen like the councilors andcorporators can be dispensed with. Directdemocratic means of public expression andparticipation can be adopted thanks to modernICT.

4. There is a confusion of roles; most of thelegislators are not legislating at all. Even if theywant to, they do not have qualifications. Theyare only supervising the executive works, moreor less conceived and executed by theAdministration. There should be ways to test notonly their popularity but also their knowledgebase, since we are going to live in a knowledge-based society.

5. Our representatives, at present, are not more thanelected supervisors of works and they come topower with claims of parochial bias andcommitments, to sit over and above thebureaucrats who are qualified and trained tofunction objectively. Can we, eventually, envisageclubbing these two functions? Either an electedfunctionary or a paid and competent electedprofessional is enough, so as to clear off thepresent confusion and wastage of time and funds.

6. Do we need so many hundreds of electedrepresentatives with no correlation with theirwork load and their productivity? If arepresentative is needed to take vital politicaldecisions of policy-making, on the advice of theexpert executives, then, probably one/tenth of thepresent number might be sufficient. This willresult in less bickering in the assemblies and quickdecision-making. This will save a lot of publicexpenditure. This will, above all, tend to reducethe huge number of unproductive politicians inpower and much more number, in waiting toget into power.

7. There is an excessive and obsessional indulgencein politics by all people in the society, with nohuman enrichment. So far, we have not achievedany efficiency in fulfilling the political rituals, norin the social-usefulness of the politicians nor inthe quality of election process. Quality-democracyis more important than quantity-democracy. Weshould realize that human problems cannot besolved by politics alone and hence, we shouldreduce the role of politics in our day to day lives.We should stop worshipping ‘Power’ as a solutionfor human problems. Power is needed to protectlife but many other things are needed to enjoy it.

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8. We have not devised any innovative strategies norhave we outlined any guidelines for initiatingsocial democracy, apart from caste-based rigidreservations, at the cost of merit and morale ofother categories. The politicians became a classunto themselves and, as the trends confirm, theymight become a caste. Emerging dynastic politicsare an indication of such a trend. By reducing thenumber and the role of the politicians with amedieval mindset, we might promote more socialdemocracy, where there will be no discriminationsbased on birth and the background of the parents.Social recognition, harmony, mutual enrichmentwould take place based on intrinsic worth of theindividual, his or her behaviour, sociability andcommunication and other skills. Modern andurban life would normally take care of such socialmixing with opportunities to excel without anyparticular legislation. This has not been happeningin India because of the political manipulationsaimed at number calculations for creating votebanks.

9. Similarly, economic democracy also wouldexpand its horizons along with the growth of neweconomic culture. Poverty could be easilyeradicated by better management of our economy,if there are no political intervention andideological notions. It is to be taken only as aproblem of management– opportunities to work,to produce, to distribute and to consume.Economic democracy means workers,management and investors, as well as the share-holders and the stakeholders i.e. consumers shouldreap the benefits of an economic activity. That

would be more or less a social economy, beingneither capitalist nor state-economy. Corporatesocial responsibility should go beyond sponsoringtowards social participation and integration. Thefruits of growth and expansion should benefit all,without exceptions.

10.By nature, political activity is not a culturalactivity. This is a problem of mindset, due to lackof vision in search of non-political humanrelationships. Legislation in this area, cannot beleft to the imagination of the present political classalone. Associations and individuals dealing withcultural expressions like arts. sports and literature,science and technology should proposeappropriate legislation or become legislatorsthemselves. Comprehensive and long termprojects should be entrusted to them and not tothe bureaucrats for execution.

Cultural democracy ought to reflect our totalfruition of our political, economic and socialfunctions in the society in the direction of improvingthe levels of quality of life which has diversecomponents like the joy of living, quest forknowledge of self, environment and society, humanexcellence in arts and crafts and, ultimatelyempowering the individual to be the master of hisown destiny here and anywhere else. All our individualand collective pursuits should lead towards such agoal. All citizens must be able to draw from andcontribute to the common fund of culture. The eliteand the intellectuals in the society shouldcommunicate with all sections of the society, thanksto ICT and reduce the cultural gap.

Extract from “Growing Twin Cities” by M.V.Nayudu in FBH First Annual Number 2000-2001.

“National Building Code 1983 and BIS Standards of 1993 not enforced———HMC ActSec.292: No structure which obstruct natural course of water flows shall be permitted. This is notenforced. 5 ft. setback for residences and complexes is unrealistic, congestion permitted. ……..Onlybuilders are called for meetings with the Government to change rules as desired by them, not residentswho suffer.”

Citizens may ponder to what extent the situation has worsened or improved during last 8 years.

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Hyderabad city, particularly the new city was asmall town fifty years ago, with pockets of habitationwidely dispersed around Hussain sagar in alldirections.

Taking a small segment of the city belowHussain Sagar and its catchment, it is unbelievablydifferent from what we now see. The areas belowwere described as “Chikad-pally” meaning ‘boggy ormarshy’ areas, “Nallakunta” meaning a ‘black pond’.Between these two tanks was located an extensive‘Bagh’ (Garden) Lingampally. I still remember largechunks of these areas in such a state as a young schooland college goer.

I remember our 4.0 acre farm house below theNallakunta tank, where we grew paddy till 1962,when this tank started to dry up because its catchmentwas growing into habitation around Ramnagar,Mushirabad stretching to Sitapalmandi. This lastnamed was an open ground where during sitapalseasons all the carts from the districts around wouldbring these delicious fruits by the thousands, and salestook place in this mandi or market. The season over,the market disappeared leaving behind a sprawlingopen barren area. The area where the DurgabhaiDeshmukh Hospital exists today had scattereddilapidated sheds, the remnants of the Plague Campwhen Hyderabad was under spell of plague long back.Later further down towards the bank of the streamfrom Hussain Sagar got located the QuarantineHospital being a desolate, far off isolated place.

Coming back to the sprawling areas belowNallakunta where our farm existed, it was aterrorizing period with the monsoons. Deep into themonsoon period this tank would fill up into a vastlake with threatening waves reaching to the top ofthe very narrow bund, which was difficultly jeepable

Hyderabad - The Changed Environment

M. Kamal Naidu, IFS (Retd.)(Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests)

in dry seasons. The water used to cut across the bund,and we and other farmers below the bund wouldkeep a vigil, plugging the surface breaches lest it getsdeeper, to breach the tank. They were frightful days.When this tank got full and threatening, the sluiceused to be opened to the full, and the water wouldgush out of it very threateningly. Our farm housewould become virtually an island, and to get toNallakunta main road near the now famous Shivatemple, we were needed to walk through wateralmost at times waste deep. Those days the rains inSeptember were continuous for almost 5-7 days, sunused to be rarely visible, while the clouds rolled indark and frightful, shedding rains from a slow drizzleto a continuous heavy downpour. Oh! What a sighof relief we would give on getting the break in therains, to patch up the tank and repair the bund, andexamine the damages done to the paddy crop. Nowit is an important broad link road, with a densehabitation spreading out from Chikadpally to Uppal.

While the above was one aspect, to travel toNarayanguda from this farm house by cycle or byrickshaw, the route would cut across through the openlands, what is now the densely crowded Barkatpuraand into Bagh Lingampally, extended to Chikadpallyto reach Himayatnagar through a desolate “Kallucompound” in the vast forest of toddy palms, whichis now Ashoknagar. Where the ChennareddyMemorial and Indira Park exist was the vast area underfisheries department, with the fish farm for stockingthe lakes around Hyderabad city in its innumerabletanks and lakes. Looking down from Tank Bund onecould see this vast expanse of toddy forests.

Could we believe what I state? Image thechange in the environment as mentioned, and thestate of the environment today on the impact of theclimate change here. In those days these areas had

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always nice cool breeze at evenings; summers werenot so hot and unbearable, with the greenness andopenness, which rarely reached out to 40*C whenwe would crib Oh! so hot, its getting unbearable.The area was pure and fresh with no pollutingagencies. The summers were smothered by thefrequent conventional summer showers, whichoccurred with regularity of almost on every 10-20days. These were accompanied with hailstones inMay, when the summer temperature reached around40*C.

I still cannot forget the hailstones of late fifties,when hail stones as large as tennis balls fell,damaging windows and windscreen of cars. I stillremember the accumulation of a vast ice field afterthis rain stopped at the compound of Sailing Clubwhich remained for almost three days before meltingaway. Can you imagine such a summer? Yes, now wehave AC’s, but what use with power cuts at the crucialhours.

Coming to the Hussain Sagar tank, it was asprawling ocean in rainy season when it spread to thefoothills all around covered with lush green, dottedhere and there by small specks, which one could easilybe identified as the mansions of the Nawabs, andthese were overtopped by the trees around them, sowere difficultly visible. The road which girdled thetank at the foothills was dotted with Bella Vista, LakeView Guest House, Greenlands, Country Club,Hyderabad Public School, Alladin Building, PaigahPalace, etc. and nothing besides. The train fromNampally to Secunderabad would pass through vastexpanses of water on either side from Khairtabad tillJames Street station. Oh! What a frightful butthrilling sight with huge waves lashing and roaringall around the railway track. Now the railway trackforms the other boundary of the lake viewed fromthe tank bund. The tank bund itself has become verybroad and very secure, while the lake less threateningand awe inspiring. I presume Lord Buddha hasrestored calm and peace in the lake, in keepingwith his teachings. Looking across at the sprawlinghills I see no green trees, but a mass of dazzling

whiteness, eye soaring reflection, and rising waves ofradiation and haziness due to heat, dust and smoke.The water of the lake which supplied drinking waterfor Himayatnagar, Chikadpally is such that it isdifficult even for the hardiest variety fish to live in it,leave alone the stink.

In mid fifties going to Rajendernagar would bea thrilling sight during the rainy season right fromChaderghat Bridge to Bahadurpura via Nayaphooland Puranaphool all along the Musi. Frequently fromAugust the Musi would swell to the brim, and attimes in September spill over to the main road nearBahadurpura, totally submerging the grave yard onthe bank besides it. The river between OsmaniaHospital and the High Court would be separated bya wide stretch of water from walled bank to bank. Iwould recollect how threatening it would have beenin September 1908 whenever I see the water marklevel at the Mosques besides the road to Puranapul,which was above the bus level. Thanks to the twodams at Himayatsagar and Gandhipet built as advisedby Sir Visveshwarayya, such threats were reduced,but yet the Musi would be threatening in its glory,confined within its boundary to the brim. Couldwe imagine this now?

The flooded Musi would tempt me to go overto see these mighty man-made lakes, or rather oceansnear Hyderabad city. Oh! These were oceans indeed,the roaring waves lashing on the banks, the cool breezeblowing over them with great speed and force, andall the outlets opened up was a grandeur that remainsetched in the mind as an unforgetful memory. Canwe imagine today the two lakes full and gushing,threatening, rolling and roaring, and which wouldbe almost half full during the summers. Today wesee the skeletonized lakes bed, were trucks ply insummer to salvage sand for construction. Thecatchment up to Vikarabad is now a vast ocean offarm houses, colleges, and residentialaccommodations. Imagine Vikarabad was a hill resortof a kind in summer, used as a health resort and sothe TB sanatorium was located in its thickly vegetatedsurrounding. Imagine these lakes are now all set to

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become like the poor Nallakunta tank of the latefifties described above. I sincerely hope residentialcomplexes will not come up in their beds, and Musibecome a dirty sewage drain, which it is now.

It was in the mid sixties that housing boardconstructed houses at Medhipatnam andSanjeevareddynagar. My brother was allotted a housein the defense quota in either one of them, for hischoosing. He refused to have them in this vastdeserted open jungles. He said who would live insuch a woe-be-gone place which one cannot even rentout. Wow! What a great mistake he made nothaving a foresight. Why he, I made a blunder ofdisposing of a site in Jubilee hills near the famoustemple in 1979, wondering how long it would taketo be habitable. There were no takers for the site then,I felt happy when a taker took it for the rate I hadgot it for. Today all these areas are oceans of humanity,and jungles of mighty high rising artificial humanstructures generating heat, dust and most weirdpollutions. These same Banjara and Jubilee hills were

sprawling jungles, where roamed panthers and somedeer species were frightful to move into after dusk.Now they are frightful with traffic jams till any timein the night.

In early nineties Begumpet airport was still onthe outskirts. I shifted in here, and soon the roadwidened, shopping complexes came up, and bridgesand fly-over took over. I can no longer see theBegumpet fly-over and the Hussaain Sagar, and thebeautiful Birla Mandir any more from my sixth floorapartment. Now we reconcile that we are drownedin the ocean of civilization with smoke, dust, germsand pollution, water scarcity, no power morefrequently. The only solace is that it is still possibleto breathe the rotten stinking, weird smelling dustyair, rather than not have even that.

What do we do? Hope for the best thattechnology can provide to save us from the futurethrottling death of rationed water, lesser spans ofpower cut. HOPE.

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I live in HyderabadI have many names[from a road’s point of view]

By : Sanghamitra Malik

I am a road,Just a simple road,

A long, straight, flat road,A muddy but clean road.

The Qutab Shahis made me,I extend for a long distance, a very long distance,

Those days, people walked on me gently, horses trotted on me,Elephants and camels too went over me.

There was a slight touch by the Moghuls too,Then the Asaf Jahi rulers took good care of me,

The hot sun does burn me, but the rains cool me down,People walked down and horse-drawn carriages passed over me,

That pained me at times, but never did that hurt me.Then sometime later, I was turned smooth and black,

Cycles, buses and cars joined the pedestrians, on top of me,They went their way, sometimes tickling me as they passed.

Sometimes, I was dug upon, deep down to lay pipes.Then came the horrible twenty first century,

The burden on my body went up in leaps and bounds,Those two legged creatures, they always hit me hard.

Now, they punch me, they dig me, they cut across me all the time,Earlier they used smaller tools to poke me and hurt,

Now they thrust huge big machines into my large body,They go deep down and fill me with steel rods and cement.

These two legged creatures, now they all move in cars,So many huge cars cover my body, I cannot even breathe,

Every inch of my body is covered with bikes, buses and cars,I cry in pain, they do not care to hear, but just pass by.

My two sides are battered and dug upon every now and then,Long coloured cables are placed in the trenches they dig,Big and tall light poles are thrust into me now and then,

The weight of heavy flyovers and FOBs are causing me much pain.I have ditches and potholes on my earlier smooth body, now,

These two legged creatures, they litter me and spit on me and how!The noise coming from so many vehicles pain my ears so,

To add to this - now the burden of the Metrorail on my shoulders ?OH NO!!!

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1.0 River Musi is a part of the legend and folkloreof Hyderabad - This city, located on thesouthern banks of the river, was founded in 1591A.D by the Golconda King, Sultan Quli QutubShah. From late 18th century the city expandedacross the river to the northern banks, thus theriver divides the city into two parts.

2.0 River Musi, originates from Anantagiri Hills anddescends, on to the plains, near a Village,Shivareddy Pet, (about 100 kms to the northwest of the city.) It flows through the city.Flowing in a southeastern direction joins riverKrishna, after a journey of about 190 kms, atWadepally.

2.1 For more than 300 years (1591-1920) this riversupplied potable drinking water and all thedomestic and irrigation needs of the people. Onthe southern river bank, there were long lengthsof wall, watch Towers, gardens, magnificentpalaces, public and private buildings includinga civil hospital. All these were built during the16th and 17th century.

2.2 This perennial river, a gentle stream, most ofthe year, was a raging torrent during the rainyseason. For many days the river would be inspate, when flood water over flowed the banks.There have been 12 recorded major floods, thefirst being in 1613 A.D - the floods of 1931A.D caused great damage to public life andproperty. The Chaderghat, bridge underconstruction, was damaged. Nothing much wasdone to save the city and the public from suchhigh floods by the State government.

3.0 The floods in 1903, however were very severe,when extensive damage was caused to hundredsof public buildings and private houses. TheNizam (VI) (Mahboob Ali Khan) issued orders,

He Tamed River Musi

by C. Sarvotham Rao, I.F.S. (Retd.)

not to repair the damage buildings andprohibited construction of all new buildings,on either banks of the river. This was done, toavoid any future loss and damage to the people.

3.1 After 5 years (in 1908) came the worst floods.Due to a cyclone storm, rain started on themorning of Sunday, 27 September andcontinued the whole day. In the evening the rainintensified and it was very heavy (Shamshabad,rain gauge recorded 1809 inches of rain in 48hours)

3.2 Musi river valley has two drainage basins, Musiproper, with a catchment area of 285 Sq. Miles.The other of Esi River, with a catchment of 525Sq. miles. In these two catchments there are 788tanks, (almost one in each Sq. mile. On thisfateful night (27th September) almost all tanksoverflowed and 221 Tanks breached (38 in Musiand 182 in Esi basin)

3.3 The first, severe flood warning was received inthe city, in the early hours (about 2:30 A.M) of28th September when all the people were fastasleep. The flood water first breached thewestern city walls and in the next hour, thewaters were over the Afzal Gunj Bridge(constructed in 1862). By 8A.M there was 8feet of water, along Kolsa Wadi and adjoiningareas. In the next hour, there was 16 ft of wateron all the 4 bridges, on the river. Most of thethickly populated localities on both banks ofriver, suffered extensive damage and loss of lifeand property. Nearly 19000 houses collapsedand an estimated 15000 people lost their life.The tree which saved the life of over 150 peoplestill exists near Osmania hospital. About onelakh citizens were rendered homeless. The totalloss of property was said to be over Rs. 3 cores.This was a great calamity.

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3.4 The Nizam visited all the flooded localities andconsoled the people and assured them of allnecessary assistance by the government. All thepalaces and other public buildings were openedto provide shelter to the homeless. More than15 govt. Kitchens, supplied free food to theeffected people. Free clothes were suppllied topeople, who had lost their homes. This was thesecond flood disaster witnessed by the Nizam.He decided to take effective measures, to controlall such recurring floods of river Musi. He issuednecessary orders to take appropriate action, tothe Government. The Prime Minister (MaharajaSir Kishan Pershad) began the process ofexecution of the orders. This was the start, forTaming of River Musi.

4.0 The principal engineer of the public worksdepartment (P.W.D) of state government(Govt.) was Mr. T.D. Mackenzie (an officerfrom Madras Govt.). Govt of India, havingcome to know about that desire of the Nizamto control the flood damage to the city ofHyderabad informed that the inspector - generalof irrigation of Govt. of India (Sir MichaelEthersol), can be deputed to Hyderabad, toadvise and assist, in the execution of theproposed flood control measures.

4.1 The Nizam politely refused the offer of help.He instructed, the Govt, to search and securean Indian Engineer, for the project. There musthave been very strong reason for him to refuse,the suggestions of Govt. of India and decidefor an Indian Engineer - [was it the 1905 BerarAgreement, forced on him by Viceroy LordCurzon?]

5.0 Sri M. Visvesvaraya, A Supt. Engineer inirrigation department of Bombay Govt ofBombay to depute him to Hyderabad.However, he was on leave, and was travelling inEurope. An urgent message was sent to him (viathe Home office in London). He was in Milan(Italy) when the information reached him. Hesent a reply to the Hyderabad Govt (29-10-1908) agreeing to take up the project but started

his terms for accepting the assignment. TheHyderabad Govt. agreed to his terms andrequested him to join duty as early as possible.

5.1 A Bombay English newspaper - Bombay gazette,made the following remarks in the paper “Whatkind of an expert, this Indian Engineer could be,who demanded and obtained the salary of theRevenue Commissioner”

5.2 Sri M. Visvesvaraya, reported for duty on 15thApril 1909 and was posted as a special consultingEngineer. He was requested to attend to thefollowing.

i. To prepare a report for the reconstruction ofHyderabad City which was damaged due to therecent Musi floods. To suggest measures - forthe protection of the city from future suchfloods, of Musi River.

ii. To prepare a complete scheme for drainage, forthe city and Chadarghat area (where BritishResidency was located)

This was the second step for Taming of RiverMusi.

5.3 The preparation of the modern drainage schemeand proposing the protections works for the cityrequired huge collection of large amount ofavailable and additional data. Detailed surveyof the entire catchment area was undertaken. Anumber of Engineers and surveyors were requiredfor the field work. Some staff was madeavailable, by the regular state P.W.D. the balancestaff and officers were recruited by Sri.Visvesvaraya from Bombay Province, where heknew many qualified technically skilled persons.As the engineering aspect of the problem wasinvestigated and the survey data tabulated it wasclear, that an extent of 425000 cusecs of waterwas carried by the river during the fateful floodson 28th September 1908. This was an unusualdischarge, of water (indicating an intensity of¾ inch rain per hour) from the catchment of862 Sq.miles.

5.3 It was therefore decided to impound such floodwater by creating adequate storage capacity for

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it. Two reservoirs were therefore proposed tobe constructed above the city, [one on RiverMusi and the other on the Esi River]. Anestimated total storage capacity of 20,389million cfts was therefore proposed to be created[Musi reservoir 8439 million cft and Esireservoir, 11950 million cfts]. Proposals werealso made to raise the river banks in the city andconverting such portions of banks, into, Parksand gardens.

6.0 In May 1909, T. Anand Rao, Dewan of MysoreState informed Sri Visvesvarya, that theMaharaja was very keen to have his services asChief Engineer of the Mysore State andsuggested he should accept the assignment.

6.1 The Musi River project was almost ready bySeptember 2009. The report on floodprotection works was submitted on 1st October.The Plans, estimated for the two reservoirs andother works was submitted to the HyderabadGovt. on 20th October 1909 A.D.

6.2 Sri Visvesvaraya had agreed to join Mysore StateService after the he completed the Musi projectreport. Accordingly he left Hyderabad early inNovember and joined duty on 15th November1909 as chief engineer Mysore State.

6.3 The Hyderabad Govt took 2 years in furtherconsultations about the project with variousEngineers’ of Govt. of Madras, (who had earlierheld office in Hyderabad). All agreed that Musi(project) report was good in all respects andcould be implemented. However in August1911, Nizam (Mahaboob Ali Khan) expiredwhich resulted in further delay.

7.0 Finally, Nizam VII (Osman Ali Khan)sanctioned the project on 15th July 1912. Helaid the foundation of the Reservoir on Musi,at Gandipet on 23rd March 1913.

7.1 The Hyderabad Engineer Ahmed Ali Khan, whohad worked along with Sri Visvesavaraya, in thepreparation of the Musi Project, was posted toexecute the works. He later rose to the positionof Chief Engineer of the State, and earned thetitle, Nawab Ali Nawaz Jung. This reservoir wasnamed after the Nizam as Osman sagar.

7.2 The reservoir was completed in 1920, at a costof 54 Lakhs (Osmania Currency (O.S). Thereservoir on Esi was completed in 1927. At acost of 66 Lakhs. (O.S). The total cost of boththe Reservoir was Rs. 120 Lakhs (O.S).

The piped drinking water supply for the city ofHyderabad, (Population about 5 lakhs) fromOsman sagar was taken up and completedbetween 1921-23 and from Himayat Sagarbetween 1928-30 at a cost of Rs. 90 Lakh (O.S).The total cost of most of the works suggestedin the report was Rs. 210 Lakhs (O.S) or Rs.168 Lakhs (Britesh Govt. Currency)

Thus the Taming of River Musi was finallycompleted in 1927.

NOTE : [Rs. 116 - 10½ annas was equal to Rs. 100of British Govt. Currency - the cost of Goldper Tola during this period (1913-30) variedbetween Rs. 20-25 per Tola.

References :-

1.)Memories of My working life. - By Sir M.Visvesvaraya

2.)Memories of a city - Hyderabad

3.)Floods - 1908 - By Dawood Ashraf. (Urdu)

***

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GOLKONDA FORT and GOLF COURSEDr.M.Mandal

1. “Outrage over Golf at Naya Quila”: (The Hindu-22.2.2009)

2. “HC stops Golf course work near Golconda”: (Deccan Chronicle-18.3.2009)

3. “Whose Fort is it anyway”: (The Hindu-31.3.2009)

4. It’s a Monumental shame” (Times of India-28.4.2009)

5. Rock blasting on at Fort”: (The New Indian Express-28.4.2009)

6. “A Paradise lost to Golf”: (The Hindu-29.4.2009)

7. “Golf Club members insensitive to heritage destruction”: (TOI-29.4.2009)

8. “Deconstructing the Fort with a nine-iron”: (New Indian Express-29.4.2009)

9. “Apathy over Golconda shocks citizens”: (Times of India-1.5.2009)

The above headlines in the newspapers tell the story. The article written by Dr.M.Mandal summarizingthe facts and how the Civil Society Groups are making efforts to protect the historic monument against thedestructive nature of the Golf Course activities, has been printed herein. It is hoped that the readers willappreciate, wake up, and also lodge their protests.

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This article is a summary of the relevant facts and a statement of our position on the issue, for theinformation of the public. This article seeks to make a statement of facts and reason how the projectof laying a golf course within the defined areas of the Golconda Fort constitutes a serious threat to theMonument, and to the prospects of building tourism around it, while at the same time being totallyirrelevant to the theme of the Monument. To make the article easy of comprehension, I have thearranged salient points in boxes.

The protected areas of the Golconda FortThe Archaeological Survey of India , New Delhi (ASI) under whose protection the Golconda Fort lies

under the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1951, clarified, bya notification No 3/1/85 dated 5th August 1985, Golconda Fort as comprising Citadel, outer fortificationwalls, gateways and other ancient structures including Naya Qila and Qutub Shahi Mahal fortificationwalls. By notification dated 29.1.1986, “All the private land within the Fort” was declared as a prohibitedarea for the purpose of constructions. By Gazette notification dated 16.6.1992, the areas up to 100 metresand further beyond it up to 200 metres near or adjoining protected monuments were declared as prohibitedand regulated areas respectively for purposes of both construction and mining operations.

Genesis of the golf course project.Conditions of an MOU by ASI, that was never signed & vetted by Union Ministry of Law

An 18 hole golf course was proposed to be laid out within, and affecting, the protected areas aroundthe Golconda Fort. Total land allotted for the purpose by the State Government to Andhra PradeshTourism Development Corporation Ltd ( APTDCL ) is 212.17 acres , by virtue of the order in GO Msno 280, YAT&C dt 18.12.01 read with GO Ms No 11, YAT & C(T) Deptt dated 16.1.02. Out of the212.17 acres, 50 acres are in the Naya Qila area inside the Fort walls. The Director General, ASI . NewDelhi agreed to a request made by the Secretary, Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture, A.P. Stategovernment to set up Golf Course within the walls of Naya Qila encompassing an area of roughly 50acres, vide his letter no F. No. 26/16/98-M dated 29.11.2001 . The DG. ASI . however, clearly statedthat the proposal has been agreed to in principle subject to observance of eight conditions by the StateGovernment. Some of these conditions were ( the number of a condition is mentioned in brackets) : (2)The existing access of the public to the monument including the presently unused mosques, viz., MullahKhayali and Mustafa Khan will continue as before: (4) the golf course will develop along the existingcontours of the land. (5) There is evidence of a Qutub Shahi garden to the right of the present entrypoint. This portion of land comprising about 10 acres will be developed as per the original layout, recordsof which are available with the Hyderabad Circle of ASI. (8) The complete layout of the golf course bothwithin the Fort walls and outside should be submitted to the ASI for its approval.

Further, the State Government was requested to submit to the ASI by 31.12.01 the draft MOUbased on the aforesaid observations so that the finer details can be worked out at the earliest and it couldbe vetted by the Ministry of Law. A copy of this letter was endorsed to the Superintending Archaeologist,ASI, Hyderabad Circle.

This letter was not a permission at all, but an indication of consent subject to compliance ofmany conditions in advance.

This MOU is not yet signed by ASI, after which it is further required to be vetted by UnionMinistry of Law.

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Requirements of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sitesand Remains Act, 1958.

Article 19 (1) of the Act says: (1) No person, including the owner or occupier of a protected area,shall construct any building within the protected area or carry on any mining, quarrying, excavating,blasting or any operation of a like nature in such area, or utilise such area or any part thereof in any othermanner without the permission of the Central Government.

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall be deemed to prohibit the use of such area or partthereof for purposes of cultivation if such cultivation does not involve the digging of not more than onefoot of soil from the surface.

Article 19(2): The Central Government may, by order, direct that any building constructed by anyperson within a protected area in contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be removedwithin a specified period and, if the person refuses or fails to comply with the order, the Collector maycause the building to be removed and the person shall be liable to pay the cost of such removal.

HGA constructed a huge club house within 100 metres of the fort wall, a construction for theguards, where no construction activity is permissible, and they built a fence on the Kondak wall.

Thus Article 19(1) & (2) have been violated.

A Hasty Agreement with the Hyderabad Golf Association.Meanwhile, APTDCL entered into a Deed of License ( DL ) as Licensor with Hyderabad Golf

Association (HGA ) as the Licensee on 6.2.02 for setting up Golf Course as a joint venture. This DL ,inter alia, mentions that the Government of Andhra Pradesh , in its MOU entered on 10.1.01, has beenpleased to indicate that the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA), Licensee, will carry out the developmentalworks connected with the planning of the Golf Course Project. The DL in clause 10 says, the Licenseeshall commence the construction of the buildings with immediate effect and has already commenced thework of laying the golf course. The Licensee agrees to make available nine holes by or before June 2003and the remaining 9 approved within nine months thereafter. Clause 11 says : the Licensee shall obtain therequisite approval from the government, State or Central or the MCH, HUDA, HMWS & SB andcentral Power Distribution Co Ltd and any other statutory authority to enable the Licensee to commenceand complete the construction of the buildings and laying of the golf course in all respects.

Thus the DL gave wide powers to HGA to proceed with the construction of the golf course and therequisite constructions, even though no MOU was yet signed with the ASI which further required to bevetted by the Ministry of Law. In fact the MOU has even now not been signed. The HGA only, after alapse of seven years, submitted a draft MOU which ASI, Hyderabad forwarded to ASI, New Delhi videtheir letter no 11/3/Hyd/GC/2008-M/2451 dated 27.9.2008 with their recommendations against itemby item of the stipulated conditions. Strangely, a lay out of the Golf Course was not submitted as requiredunder condition no 8, and the ASI, Hyderabad simply forwarded it with “no comments” against thatitem. The condition is a very important one and not complying with it cannot be explained as a mereoversight. The MOU cannot be approved without furnishing such an important information.

The approval or otherwise of the draft MOU is still pending. Nor has the HGA obtained any“requisite approval” from ASI, they did not even inform the ASI of the works undertaken. Thus, abinitiothere was violation of the conditions of the ASI, and also of various provisions of the Ancient Monumentsand Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, in particular those concerning constructions, digging ofsoil, etc.

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Violations galore!However, the HGA freely went about engaging in various works relating to the construction of the

golf course including structures.- even without approval of the draft MOU and before even submitting it,- even without obtaining any permission from ASI, and- notwithstanding requests by ASI Hyderabad to refrain from such acts and in violation of the

conditions of the draft MOU and the provisions of the 1951 Act.These facts were repeatedly stated by ASI, Hyderabad in its affidavits to the High Court.THE HGA and the concerned state authorities by signing the Deed of Licence as stated above,

and by further violations of the draft MOU and The Monuments Act, acted in a manner as if theASI did not exist at all. There was gross exhibition of non-chalance and arrogance.

Some instances of violations :(a) HGA cut a portion ( 10’ x 10’) of the

Khandak wall ( moat wall) between Jamalikunta andNayaqila to connect two parts of the golf course. Areport dated 13.11.08 recorded at ASI, Hyderabadstated that that HGA were making an under-passagefrom the existing golf course to Nayaqila near theexit way and had cut a portion of the Khandak wallover which the road was laid for creating the under-passage for players to enter the Nayaqila withoutcrossing the road. In the affidavit dated 24.11.08 bythe ASI, Hyderabad circle to the High Court, it wasstated that the moat wall which is heritage propertywas removed by JCB ( a heavy machinery – the useof heavy machinery is prohibited in the Fort area)and trying to dismantle the natural rock by means ofcompressor over which the structure was laid , whichmay cause danger to the structure.

Picture of the breach in the Khandak

(b) APTDC and HGA claimed that HyderabadMetro Water Supply & Sewage Board ( HMW S &SB) had taken up the activity for laying pipes butthe latter denied that it had taken any such work orauthorized anyone to take up the works. Only afterthe Court order was passed on 2.12.08 to restore themoat wall and refill the moats, and when ASIHyderabad circle arranged to comply with the courtorder, the HMWS&SB took a new plea for allowingdrainage pipe through the broken portion of the moatwall, which was obviously an afterthought to defeatthe court order to rebuild the moat wall. ASI.Hyderabad circle considered the request untenable;yet the request was repeated by HMW S & SB andtheir request was endorsed by APTDCL. Thus theASI was prevented from implementing the HighCourt’s order!

[ In this connection, an earlier judgment of theA.P. High Court in W.P. no 7631 of 2002 which isgiven later in a box may be referred to]

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(c) The Surang, an entry originally provided in theMonument in Naya Qila area inside the Fort, wasdug by 2 feet, to increase its height from 6 feet to 8feet, for easy passage to golfers. To restrict entry ofothers, a gate was put at the Surang, which earlierwas not there.

Picture of the Surang with the gate

(d) In Naya Qila area within the Fort wall,HGA was carrying the work of digging and levelingthe earth, without any permission by ASI,Hyderabad, and notwithstanding having beenrequested not to initiate any activity within 100metres from the protected area of ASI Monuments( ASI affidavit dated 24.11.08 filed with the HighCourt).

(e)During inspection, the officers of ASIHyderabad observed that the moat falling betweenBanjara Darwaja and Jamali Darwaja of Golcondafort within the fenced area of the HGA was partlyfilled with garbage and red soil, and the same wasleveled by the HGA. ASI again wrote on 5.9.08 tostop such unauthorized activity of filling the moatand to remove the earth already filled as the actionof HGA was against the principle of AncientMonuments and Archaeological Sites & Remains Act

1958, and Rules 1959. ASI , Hyderabad filed anFIR against the HGA on 8.9.08.

Picture of heavy machinery in use

(f ) While using heavy machinery to dip soil,century old coins were found and this was informedto the Collector, MRO and the concerned officials.Finally, the coins were sent to ASI, Hyderabad. It isnot known how many number of coins found weretruly reported. Due to digging of the earth, artifactswere found, which are unaccounted for. Even nowthey are found on the ground. All these show scantregard for the hidden heritages in the Naya qila area. As per guidelines, an area where such items havebeen found should be sealed, but this has not beendone at this fort. The provisions of the A.P. TreasureTrove rules framed under the Indian Treasure TroveAct have been violated.Picture of artefacts shown by M.Vedakumar to others

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(g) Fencing of the golf course has interfered withthe public access to Mullah Khayali mosque, theHathian ki jhar, the graveyards within the Naya qilaarea. Earlier, tourists and visitors, after visiting theHathian ki jhar and Mustafa Khan mosque used tofrequent the watch tower and the Tope ( cannon);now they cannot reach these sites due to the fencing.Mustafa khan mosque is another important site inNayaqila area. Rocks have been blasted / broken onthe road to the mosque, Signboards have been putat many places, “ trespassers will be prosecuted”. “Golf course project / APTDC”. These give themessage that this area is off the limits of a tourist /visitor, and is only for HGA members. Thuscondition number 2 of the draft MOU whichprohibits any restriction of access to the public, hasbeen violated.

Pictures showing fencing around Hathian ki jhar,signboards of APTDCL

(h) Contours have been changed in the nameof greening and grassing, by breaking rocks, bydigging, leveling, and dumping soil bought fromoutside. Heavy excavating machines, use of which isprohibited inside the Fort area have been used / arestill seen on site. Sand pits, which require digging atconsiderable depth ( definitely beyond 1 footprescribed under 19(1) of the Monuments Act), havebeen created in the golf course inside the Nayaqilaarea of the Fort.

(i) Condition no 5 of the draft MOU statesthat there is evidence of a Qutub Shahi gardencomprising about 10 acres in Naya qila area( out of50 acres) and that this portion will be developed asper the original layout. Since the Garden’s locationis not yet identified . it is apprehended that HGAmay level this area too for extending the golf course.

(j) Besides, some of items of agreement(s) werecontrary to the conservation of the monument andits precinct areas. We quote by way of example fromthe Minutes of the Meeting dated 14.9.08:

“ ASI to fence the moat area as per land surveyrecords”

“ Area on the HGA ( Hyderabad GolfAssociation) side of the fence to be developedwithout creating permanent structures”

“ Maximum trees to be preserved in the area” –Question – why maximum instead of stating thatall trees to be preserved in the area and no trees to beremoved without prior written approval of ASI,Hyderabad circle and other concerned authoritiesunder WALTA of the state government. Also, nocensus of trees was undertaken. Thus some trees wereremoved illegally.

(k) The Hyderabad Golf Association hasconstructed a huge building as Club House probablyfalling within the prohibited area from the rampartwall of the Golconda fort, a small permanentbuilding for security personnel, and fencing withinthe prohibited area adjacent to the moat and a wallalong the road separating the Jamalikunta area of thegolf course. They have constructed a fence aroundthe golf course within the Naya Qila area and alsomade some changes on the ground level. Thus theprovisions of Article 19 (1) of the Monuments Acthas been violated and warrants invocation of Article19(2) for removal of such building ( both articleshave been quoted earlier.)

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Repeated violations of the Court orders.A PIL no 24623 was filed with A.P. High Court by the Peoples Union For Civic Action & Rights

( PUCAAR) and the Forum For A Better Hyderabad, praying that the High Court may please declarethe action of the respondents Nos 1 to 6 ( namely, ASI, New Delhi; ASI, Hyderabad Circle; Secretary toYouth Advancement, Tourism & Cultural Department, Government of A. P.; APTDC; Collector &District Magistrate, Hyderabad; Commissioner of Police ( CP ), Hyderabad;, and H.G.A) in allottingthe land in and around Golconda Fort in favour of HGA and not stopping the work of developmentalactivities including leveling of land etc., taken up by HGA in and around Golconda Fort especially theNaya Qila and the moat at Jamali Kunta, as illegal and unconstitutional and consequently direct therespondents to restore the area to the pristine glory and restore the access to the citizens especially thetourists and the local people to all the areas of ancient heritage structure after directing the respondents totake back the land given to HGA.

The High Court observed in their order dated 2.12.08: “ The affidavits filed in this writ petitiongo to show that the compound wall of the Golconda Fort has been damaged at certain places. …. it doesnot appear that any activity from the respondent authorities to rebuild the compound wall, is taken up”and instructed HGA to stop further work until the appeal is disposed of. “The Golconda Fort andNayaqila are the monuments and therefore, ASI has got bounden duty to protect and maintain the same.Under the circumstances, … the ASI, New Delhi and ASI, Hyderabad Circle shall take immediate stepsto reconstruct the compound wall and other damaged structures in Golconda Fort and Nayaqila andrestore the same within a period of two months from today….”

As HGA did not stop the work, nor were the reconstruction / restoration of the damaged compoundwalls of the GK Fort and the other damaged structures in GK Fort and Nayaqila done, the High Courtwas approached again, Based on an undertaking by the Managing Director, APTDCL, that APTDCLthrough the agencies having required expertise will carry out the works in disputed areas strictly in accordancewith the conditions imposed by ASI, New Delhi in letter F.No.26/16/98-M dated 29.11.01; that theywill not make or allow any permanent constructions by the licencee ( i.e. HGA ) in the protected areaand will safeguard the areas in question; that the entire work will be under the supervision of the APTDCand the Government, the High Court directed, vide order dated 26.12.08, the respondent ( APTDC )to ensure that such work was / is done “ strictly in accordance with the conditions imposed by the 1st

respondent ( ASI, New Delhi) in letter F No 26/16/98-M dated 29.11.01 , in consultation with the ASI.New Delhi”.

Works of various types were continued, violating the conditions of the draft MOU. ASI Hyderabadinformed that they have not given any consent for such works. The High Court was approached againand by their order dated 17.3.09, directed the respondents not to take up construction or change thecontours and adjourned the hearing till 23.3.09 to enable the respondents to file counter affidavits. Thecase is to be heard further.

“Heritage is wider than Tourism and conservation should take precedence overTourism” (V.K.Bawa in ‘Heritage Tourism in Hyderabad’ in FBH Annual

Number 2000-2001)

Contd...

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Complete failure of oversight by the state authorities.

- There was failure of all the authorities to enforce compliance by the HGA which indulged in .repeated violations of the conditions of the draft MOU, of the Monuments Act, non-chalance to theASI, disregard of the Court orders, misrepresentation of facts. The police registered complaints onlyunder repeated pressure, did not register FIRs except in a few cases, and took no action, The local citizensincluding members of the petitioner organizations made repeated complaints to the local police station,copy to the C.P., and petitioned to the Hyderabad District Collector, to stop the works but no actionwas taken.

- It is also observed from the minutes of the meetings ( quoted earlier ) that the District Collector,and the Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, sometimes reached agreements with the HGA ( which infact favoured the latter), when they had no authority to enter any agreement whatsoever in the absence ofthe signed MOU.

- Surprisingly, the APTDCL which gave an undertaking to the Court that the entire work willbe under the supervision of the APTDC and the Government, on the basis of which, the HighCourt directed, vide order dated 26.12.08, the respondent ( APTDC ) to ensure that such workwas / is done “ strictly in accordance with the conditions imposed by the 1st respondent ( ASI, NewDelhi) in letter F No 26/16/98-M dated 29.11.01 , in consultation with the ASI, New Delhi”, virtuallyreneged their undertaking as evident from their letter dated 6.4.09 to Shri Mohd Afzal underRTIA, and transferred the responsibility to HGA / the Secretary, department of YAT & C,Government of A.P.

Some important policy issues

- whether the development inside, and affecting the protected and regulated areas of a monument,should be given to a private party, if so how such a party should be chosen, In the instant case, HGA, apurely private organisation, was chosen to execute the project and as a joint partner in it without anycompetitive bidding. And there were repeated violations by the HGA of the conditions of the draftMOU, of the Monuments Act, non-chalance to the ASI, disregard of the Court orders, misrepresentationof facts. Obviously. HGA is untrustworthy.

- what should be an effective mechanism / oversight to enforce the prescribed safeguards for theproper protection of a leased part of the Monument and to ensure strict compliance with the prescribedobligations. Whether in the oversight function, ASI should involve suitable NGO/CSOs. We find to ourregret that immediately on receipt of the ASI, New Delhi’s in principle, conditional, consent, the APTDCL,for reasons unknown, interpreted it as permission and, without completion of the prescribed requirements,handed over the area to the HGA, asking them to immediately start the work of laying the golf course , etc.

- The terms and conditions of membership ( free or subsidized or on conditions as applicable toan ordinary member) of government officials other than those who are mentioned as governmentnominees also need to be examined.

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Damaging the site integrity and the prospects of Golconda Fort for recognition as World HeritageSite and its tourism potentials.

While UNESCO’s New Delhi office has taken up with Director General, ASI, New Delhi, evenscholars from abroad are agitated over this golf course project inside the fort area.

They have raised with the ASI, and the State Government several important issues including thequestion of revoking the lease with HGA. UNESCO’s letter dt. 13.5.2009 and the foreign scholars’letter dtd.30.5.2009 received by FBH through email, have been reproduced after this article.

Pleas taken for the golf course

A protection against encroachment ? It is argued that the golf course will act as a buffer againstencroachment widely taking place in the Fort area. We are against encroachment but we are talking of the50 acres of open land in the Nayaqila area inside the fort walls where, to our knowledge no encroachmentby the public has taken place. Besides, the state government has its own laws and mechanism to preventand undo encroachments, and they have done so in many cases. Why can’t they do so in respect of the fortarea? The golf course, which will restrict the movement of tourists and ordinary persons inside theNayaqila area , constitutes a more serious encroachment as a threat to the site integrity of the Monument.To prevent small encroachments , the authorities are inviting bigger and threatening intrusions by the golfproject. It is like prescribing cutting one’s head to cure headache! HGA has already built a club house – a5 star hotel may be waiting in the pipeline! Promotion of real estate may not be far behind!

Jamalikunta area was earlier a dumping ground and the golf association has cleaned and greened theplace? Again, is that the only way to prevent dumping of garbage, when there are laws and mechanismsto prevent such unauthorized dumping? Further, has anybody explored whether, and to what extent,water bodies in that area were filled up for “greening”? Further, why did HGA, for the alleged beneficialobjective, have to construct their club house in that area within the prohibited area?

If encroachment is the problem, why did not the state government permit the project for the birdsanctuary as a safeguard? This project was discarded on the plea that it would lead to (minor) constructionswithin the protected areas, but look at the churning of the soil, changing of contours, breaking of rocksby the HGA, which goes uncensored and unpunished by the state authorities!

HGA pleads that their purpose is not engaging in commercial activity but to promote golf at cheapcost. Let us see how cheap. Their web site reveals : six months’ temporary membership – Rs 50,000/-;Permanent membership for an individual – Rs, 5 lacs; Corporate membership for each person – Rs. 10lakhs. Cheap indeed! While the annual rental per acre payable by them is Re 1/-! Of course, they have aliberal provision for offering membership to present and past officials of the governments.

We are not objecting to the scale of fees, because a golf course is expensive to maintain, but why thispretence about promoting non-commercial enterprise of cheap golf?

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Our demands:In the aforesaid circumstances, the civil society groups have placed the following demands, which

were reiterated to ASI , during their officials’ visit from New Delhi :

� No golf course in the Naya qila area of the Golconda Fort and the protected areas of the Golcondafort Monument should be allowed.

� Damages to structures, changes in contours, breakage of moat or Fort wall, and all other damagesmust be restored. All further changes made by the HGA or APTDCL must be reversed.

� Demolition of all illegal structures in the protected areas of the Fort, namely: the Club Housebuilding falling within the prohibited area from the rampart wall of the Golconda fort; a smallpermanent building for security personnel; a wall along the road separating the Jamalikunta area ofthe golf course; and a fence around the golf course within the Naya Qila area . These are all within100 metres of the Fort as defined in GOI notifications. Thus the provisions of Article 19(1) of theAncient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 have beenviolated. We request ASI to invoke Article 19(2) of the Act, which provides for removal of suchbuilding under an order of the Central government.

� Free access restored to the citizens especially the tourists and the local people to all the areas of ancientheritage structure.

� Immediate cancellation of the in- principle, conditional consent given in ASI letter no F.No. 26/16/98-M dated 29.11.2001, which has not yet been finalized and vetted by Union Ministry of Law.

The petition to the Hon’ble High Court in PIL no 24623 of 2008 prayed that the High Courtmay please issue a writ , order or direction … declaring the action of the respondents Nos 1 to 6 ( namely,ASI, New Delhi, ASI, Hyderabad Circle, Secretary to Youth Advancement, Tourism & CulturalDepartment, Government of A. P., AP TDC, Collector & District Magistrate, Hyderabad, Commissionerof Police ( CP ), Hyderabad, and H.G.A. in allotting the land in and around Golconda Fort in favour ofHGA and not stopping the work the developmental activities including leveling of land etc., taken up byHGA in and around Golconda Fort especially the Naya Qila and the moat at Jamali Kunta as illegal andunconstitutional and consequently direct the respondents to restore the area to the pristine glory andrestore the access to the citizens especially the tourists and the local people to all the areas of ancientheritage structure after directing the respondents to take back the land given to HGA.

Activists meeting ASI,New Delhi

Joint Director and team visitingfort on 28th April, 2009.

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An earlier Judgment of the A.P. High Court. W.P. no 7631 of 2002It may be noted that on an earlier occasion, after the Hyderabad flood of 2000, the erstwhile Municipal

Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH ) had cut a part of the fort wall, which was in a dilapidated condition,to provide Storm Water Drain in the interest and safety of the people living in and around the Fort, apurportedly public purpose. Nevertheless, the Hon’ble High Court, in the W.P. no 7631 of 2002 , gavea direction to the then MCH, that the wall must be restored as it was with the old glory and it wasrestored under the supervision of ASI officials. It will be a national shame if, for the private use of ahandful few, the Golconda Fort, a national monument of immense historical and architectural importance,is allowed to be denuded of its environs, defaced and damaged.

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May 30, 2009Sri.K. N. ShrivastavaDirector GeneralOffice of the Director GeneralArcheological Survey Of IndiaJanpath, New Delhi – 110011 India

Sri Swaranjit SenChairmanAndhra Pradesh Tourism Corporate OfficeAndhra Pradesh Tourism Development CorporationTourism House, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad - 500 063Andhra Pradesh, India

To Whom It May Concern:As foreign scholars with an interest in the

cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh, we have readwith alarm in newspapers and emails from our friendsand colleagues in Hyderabad about the currentsituation in the Naya Qila area of Golconda Fort.We are writing to express our concern about thedamage done to this important site by the HyderabadGolf Association (HGA) in the course of turningthe Naya Qila area into an extension of its golfgrounds, made possible through the permission ofthe Andhra Pradesh Tourism DevelopmentCorporation (APTDC) and the in principleconditional expression of consent of theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI). We urge youto cancel the lease agreement with the HGA at once,and additionally use the opportunity to give the NayaQila area the attention it deserves for heritagemanagement and development. Although you are nodoubt familiar with the details of the situation, weask you to consider the following points:

1) HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE: from thedetails contained in the newspaper reports andprovided by the Forum for a Better Hyderabad, it isclear that the HGA has engaged in numerousviolations of its lease agreement and the AncientMonuments and Archaeological Sites and RemainsAct, 1958, including making alterations to the moat

walls outside the fort to create ease of access for itsmembers while moving from the greens outside thewalls to the Naya Qila extension. In addition, withinthe walls of the Naya Qila area are two very importantmosques from the early Qutb Shahi period. Themosques of Mustafa Khan and Mullah Khiyali, bothbuilt during the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah (AD1550-1580) are rare examples of architecture in the16th century in Hyderabad that can be dated byinscription. They are also well-preserved, and requiremonitoring and protection to maintain this state.Construction and increased traffic without a plan forpreserving and protecting them will lead to furtherdamage. A pavilion that appears to be from the earlyNizam period is also found within the Naya Qila,and should also be protected.

2) SITE INTEGRITY: additional violations ofthe HGA’s lease agreement include the unsupervisednighttime use of heavy equipment to destroy portionsof the fort area, includin around the graveyard atMustafa Khan’s mosque, and not respecting the 100meter boundary from existing structures. As the NayaQila has neither been formally excavated byarchaeologists, nor subject to the modern buildingfound in most of the Outer Fort at Golconda, it likelyretains greater site integrity than most other areas ofthe fort, and should be protected from furtherdevelopment for this reason alone. At the very least,

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no area should be subject to sub-surface disturbanceswithout first being examined by qualifiedarchaeologists to determine if the area has beenpreviously disturbed and if the sub-surface remainsare likely to be culturally significant.

3) TOURISM: the ASI has been attempting forseveral years to have Golconda Fort recognized byUNESCO as a World Heritage site. The latter hasnot done so, primarily due to the inability to securethe integrity of the site due to urban growth andunauthorized encroachment. Allowing the golfcourse in the Naya Qila area provides another reasonfor rejecting the application. The World Heritagedesignation would provide a boost for Hyderabad’stourism, drawing visitors globally to the site. Thevery absence of urban growth in the Naya Qila makesit a perfect area for further tourism development, inaddition to the Inner Fort and the Qutb Shahi tombs.The walls themselves tell the story of Abdullah QutbShah’s efforts to resist the Mughal forces underAurangzeb in the mid-17th century, but the twomosques remind us of the previous century, in theearly days of Golconda, where these mosques werelikely near the roads that led out of the city or as arefuge from the city’s congestion. The golf coursecurrently obstructs access to these monuments, anddespite initial assurances by the HGA that non-members would be permitted access to the mosques,posted signs, fencing, and security measures suggestotherwise and indicate an exclusivity for HGAmembers that is incompatible with the larger tourismobjectives of the ASI and APTDC.

Revoking the lease of the HGA, as well asrecognizing the significance of the Naya Qila andcreating a plan for its management and developmentare steps that can and should be taken for the sake ofthis site, and also as evidence to the concerned citizensof Hyderabad that your organizations are committedto the maintenance of Hyderabad’s cultural heritagefor the future of its citizens, and people around theworld who also value it, as well as those who havenot yet learned of it. As foreign scholars who havebeen granted the privilege of working in India andhave enjoyed Golconda Fort and the cultural heritageof Hyderabad in general, we too are committed to

this goal and ready to assist. But we need you to takethe critical steps at the local level, and saving the NayaQila should be next.Respectfully,

Robert SimpkinsDepartment of AnthropologySan Jose State University1 Washington SquareSan Jose, CA 95192

Phillip B. WagonerProfessor of Art History and ArchaeologyDepartment of Art and Art History283 Washington TerraceWesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT 06459-0442

Omar KhalidiAga Khan Program LibrarianMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMIT 7-238Cambridge, MA 02139

Marika SardarResearch AssociateDepartment of Islamic ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtNew York, NY

Dr. G.C. KruijtzerDeccan historianBeeklaan 3262562 AW Den HaagThe Netherlands

Laura S. WeinsteinDoctoral CandidateDepartment of Art History and ArchaeologyColumbia UniversityNew York, NY

Mr. Mark BrandPhD Student, St John’s College, CambridgeUniversity29 Langham House CloseRichmondSurrey TW10 7JEUnited Kingdom

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“Heritage and Environment – An Indian Diary”- HYDERABAD

(Extracts relating to Hyderabad from Mr.Shyam Chainani’s book)

Outside Maharashtra, the first impact ofBombay’s Heritage Regulations was in the city ofHyderabad which has a hoary past. Though it datesits founding to 1591, if the Qutb Shahi fortress andsettlement of Golconda are taken into account, itshistory goes back at least another three quarters of acentury.

The historian Abul Qasim Farishta, who hadvisited several Indian cities, wrote that “The City ofHyderabad lies among the trees on the south back ofthe river bank Musi, the like of which for beauty andcleanliness is not to be found in the whole of Hindustaneast, west, south or north.”

Another historian Muhammad Saqi who is saidto have accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb when helaid siege to Golconda Fort in 1687, wrote ofHyderabad that “It is a resort of heavenly peace andworldly comfort; it gives solace to the human heart,and comfort to the human body; its population largerthan the human mind can think of; its buildings loftierthan human intelligence can imagine; its air is sorefreshing and flow of fountain so sweet and its verdureso pleasant and invigorating that the flowers and thevegetation of the land may be compared to the glitterand colour of emeralds and rubies.”

Hyderabad city was, for two centuries, thecapital of the old Hyderabad state which, in 1941had an area of 82,000 square miles (almost the sizeof France), and a population of 16 million (aboutthat of Spain). The state was ruled by the Nizams ofthe Asaf Jahi dynasty under the paramountcy of theBritish. It was by far the most important of theprincely states of India, having its own flag, currency,coins, postal system, radio, railway and even an airline.The Nizam, alone of all the princes, was termedBritain’s ‘Faithful Ally’ and had the title ‘His ExaltedHighness’ with all the other princes having to becontent being called ‘His Highness’. The last rulingNizam was reputed to be the richest man in the

world. Not surprisingly the capital city of Hyderabadwas a city of palaces, graceful mansions, deorhis, lakes,water bodies and rocky hillocks. Some of the palaceswere described as being “almost small towns inthemselves.” After the merger of the princely statesand later, after the re-organisation of states on alinguistic basis, it became the capital of the state ofAndhra Pradesh.

In 1981, Hyderabad Urban DevelopmentAuthority (HUDA) Vice Chairman Ramesh Groverpersuaded the Ford Foundation to launch a three yearjoint study with HUDA on urban conservation. In1984 the study produced a two volume reportcontaining among other things an elaborate draft Billin the form of a new chapter in the Andhra PradeshUrban Development Act. However the Draft Billstagnated on the shelves of the State Secretariat till1995, since the bureaucracy of the day was less thanenthusiastic.

The trigger to the process of protecting nonarchaeological heritage was the workshop held inHyderabad on 8th July 1995 organised by theJawaharlal Nehru Technological University,INTACH and the Rotary Club of Hyderabad Mid-Town and presided over by Principal Secretary P.V.Rao. Cyrus Guzder gave the key presentation alongwith slides. P.V. Rao was obviously impressed byCyrus Guzder’s presentation, since two days later, hewrote to the Hyderabad Urban DevelopmentAuthority (HUDA) enclosing a copy of the BombayHeritage Regulations which Cyrus Guzder had givenhim and asking HUDA to prepare a draft regulationon the same lines. I was delighted when HUDAPlanner S.P. Shorey, himself a heritage professional,mentioned this at a meeting of the HeritageConsultative Group in Delhi. I suggested to him thatinstead of copying the Bombay regulations, HUDAshould base their regulations on the Government ofIndia’s Model Draft Regulation which was in the last

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stages of finalisation. However Shorey replied thathis instructions were to follow the Bombay modeland to suggest any changes would only cause delays.

HUDA acted quickly and the Draft HeritageRegulations were gazetted in December 1995. InFebruary 1997, a list of 150 heritage buildings and 9so-called heritage precincts (which were actually rockformations and not really heritage precincts) werepublished by HUDA for public objections andsuggestions. After hearing these and deleting 13 sites,a List of 137 buildings was finally sanctioned by theAndhra Pradesh Government in March 1998. Allthis quick action must have been the handiwork ofS.P. Shorey, who had had a major part to play in theformulation of Hyderabad’s Heritage List.Subsequently, in 2005, another 14 buildings wereincluded in the List.

In May 2000, when I was in Hyderabad, asenior HUDA official told me that he had a welcomepresent for me. The next day the newspapers printedHUDA’s notification of 30th April 2000 notifyingsix heritage precincts. These were the areas ofCharminar, Golconda Fort, Falaknuma Palace, KasuBrahmananda Reddy Park and Valley upto HotelBanjara Residency, the Park on Road No.1, BanjaraHills and Valley and additional areas aroundDurugam Cheruvu Lake. With an area of 6000acres, this was the largest area in India broughtunder heritage protection in a single day. Sadly,however, this protection was subsequently diluted.

A recent development, whose merits have beenhotly debated, is the expansion of the HyderabadUrban Development Authority area from about1860 sq. km to nearly 6800 sq. km. This meansthat the heritage regulations now cover this vast area.

Lakes

Hyderabad is famous for its lakes and waterbodies. Unfortunately, over the years many of thelakes have been built upon. Just one example, thatof Gopicheru Lake, must suffice. Reportedly, duringthe period of the Nizam’s rule, during the dry seasons,temporary permission for pattas (permissions) weregiven for growing one crop a year on the lakebed. Ashappens so often in India, these temporary

permissions were subsequently used to claim rightsof ownership. Several of the lakebeds, including thoseof lakes dating from Qutb Shahi times, have beenbuilt over by housing societies. In addition, severalof the lakes have been officially converted intomunicipal parks. Though the number of lakes hasdramatically dwindled, HUDA’s new Master Plan2020 still shows 169 lakes and water bodies withareas more than 10 hectares. While nine rockformations were listed in the Heritage list, no waterbodies were listed, not even the famous Hussain SagarLake, though the case for including them wouldperhaps be even more compelling than the case forincluding rock formations.

Four days after the notification of the sixprecincts, just before I left Hyderabad, HUDA hadyet another welcome present. By a notification on4th May 2000, they listed 169 lakes for protection.It was stipulated that irrespective of ownership,the entire area falling within the full tank level ofthe lake together with a buffer belt of 30 m widthon all sides of each lake had to be kept free from anytype of construction. The total area so protectedexceeds 19,500 acres. Quite apart from itsimportance to Hyderabad, this sets an importantprecedent for other cities with lakes such as Udaipur,Bhopal, Raipur, Thane etc.

Heritage Regulations

By a serious error, while copying the BombayHeritage Regulations in 1995, HUDA had copiedthe original uncorrected Bombay Regulation; theywere probably unaware of the subsequentcorrigendum. Hence a large number of heritagebuildings, many of which are finer than those inBombay, were at grave risk. I discovered this on NewYear’s Day of 1999 while writing this chapter andimmediately pointed it out to S.P. Shorey. After that,for several years, I kept pointing out that the HeritageRegulations were inadequate and had severaldangerous lacunae. I was asked by S.P. Shorey to sendin a suggested regulation, which I did in late 2002.HUDA notified these regulations virtually verbatimas part of the Draft Master Plan for the HyderabadMetropolitan Area 2020. These are the best HeritageRegulations notified so far in India.

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ELSEWHERE IN ANDHRA PRADESH

In addition to Hyderabad, in August 1999, theAndhra Pradesh Government also took a decisionthat heritage regulations would be enacted in the otherUrban Development Authorities of Kakatiya (forWarangal), Puttaparthi, Vishakhapatnam (whichincludes the Old Dutch town of Bhimanipatnam),Tirupati and Vijayawada (which covers Vijayawada,Guntur, Tenali and Margulgiri). For these actions ofAndhra Pradesh Government and HUDA, S.P.Shorey was the civil servant primarily responsible.

However no further action has been taken onthese lines. What is therefore necessary is theenactment of an Act on the lines of the DraftHeritage Conservation Bill.

Military Heritage

Secunderabad Cantonment, which is located inHyderabad’s twin city of Secunderabad, is one ofIndia’s most important cantonments. Being an oldcantonment it has a great deal of built heritage withinit, dating back from Asaf Jahi times. An item ofinterest is the bungalow in which Winston Churchilllived as a young subaltern. Other sites of interestinclude the Ronald Ross Building adjoining theFamily World Club, near Begumpet. This was abuilding dating from 1880 which the HyderabadHeritage List described as “Building used by SirRonald Ross for Nobel Prize Winning discoveryrelated to Malaria virus”. (However Calcutta residentsindignantly refute this claim, and say that thediscovery took place in their city). Another is theSecunderabad Club whose main building dates from1878. The Hyderabad Heritage list described the clubas being a “sprawling complex with imposing colonialbuilding and ancillary structures”. Any one who hasvisited or stayed in the club, which is an oasis in afast expanding concrete desert, would testify to theneed for conservation of the club premises along withits surroundings. The latter two sites were initiallypart of the Hyderabad Heritage List gazetted inFebruary 1997, but had to be deleted since they arewithin cantonment limits. This heritage needs to beprotected under the Cantonments Act 2006.

There is also a great deal of military heritageoutside Secunderabad Cantonment especially inGolconda. This needs to be protected under therelevant statutes.

CRZ

As mentioned in the chapter on CRZ, the CRZNotification of 19th February 1991 classifies all “areasof outstanding natural beauty/historical/ heritageareas” as CRZ I where no development is permissible.This will apply to large parts of the coastline.

In the Coastal Zone Management Plan ofAndhra Pradesh (sanctioned by the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests on 27th September 1996),specific mention was made of Bhimanipatnam beingclassified as CRZ I. Otherwise called Bimlipatam,Bhimanipatnam is about 24 km northeast ofVishakapatnam and was one of the major Dutchsettlements on the Coromandel Coast, used forexport of rice. Dutch influence is still present in itssloping tiled roof houses with colonnaded verandahs,the Dutch cemetery near the sea (which has tombswith Dutch inscriptions going back to 1760) andthe remnants of a fort. In addition, there is also builtheritage from the subsequent British period.

Perhaps more relevant is the EnvironmentMinistry Notification of 22nd April 2003 by which,within CRZ limits, prior Environment Ministryapproval is needed for demolition or reconstructionof buildings of archaeological or historicalimportance, heritage buildings and buildings underpublic use.

These provisions have been brought to thenotice of the Andhra Pradesh NGOs. Apart fromBhimanipatnam, they would be especially relevantfor Vishakapatnam, Nellore and Machalipatnam(earlier called Masulipatnam, where the East IndiaCompany had established an agency in 1611 andwhich was the English headquarters on theCoromandel Coast). INTACH has taken up thematter with the Collectors of the coastal districts ofEast Godavri, West Godavari, Vizianagram,Vishakapatnam, Srikakulam, Prakasham, Nellore,Krishna and Guntur.

***

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I AM NO MESSIAH, BUT ONLY A TAMARIND TREE.

By Sanghamitra Malik

One of the biggest and most devastating floods was the Great flood of Musi on 28th September, 1908.Outof all those who tried to help the victims of this devastating flood was the huge big tamarind tree, whichsaved atleast, some 150 lives on that fateful day.The tree tells it’s story:-

When I look back, I find, I have beenQuite an observer, over the years.

Hundreds of years, Mind you, I have stood And seen Hyderabadis pass by.

I have almost seen, a part of The city being built up, And gradually come to life.

From the earlier daysOf Nawabs and Pashas and Hyderabad lovers,Today it is the city of the happening and uncaringyouth!

But of all the daysThat I have livedOn this earth, 28th September, 1908, is special.

Myself, just a tamarind tree,I was just the same,Just as I had been prior to that.

But, it was the nightBefore that day, that the rainIntensified and the downpour refused to stop.

Just 24 hours of rain and 15,000Lives were lost, 19,000 houses destroyedAnd 80,000 people thrown out to be homeless.

One after the other, both men andWomen came close to meAsking, pleading for help to save them.I lowered my arms, sometimesOne, sometimes the other To help them climb up my branches.

I was so filled with desire To help these helpless humans Who were getting washed away before my eyes.

There was 17 inches of heavy rainfallAs if there was no tomorrow,The sometimes drowning, sometimes floatinghumans, I did help.

God answered my prayers,I was feeling stronger andI was able to take the weight of some 150 humans.

I still stand hereAt the very same place, andI feel proud to have done a good deed.

It is one hundred yearsSince that fateful day,When, with the Pasha’s blessings, I performed my duty.

I shudder to think of thoseMany human lives lost, the housesWashed away and large areas under water.

But I have since,Stood the test of time,My old aching body, still strong in spirit with myhead held high.

I am so happy to be a partOf Hyderabad’s old historyNow, I plead to you humans to let me JUST BE!!!

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We refer to the meeting held on 27.2.08 inthe office of the Chief Secretary to discuss what shouldbe done about the G Block. ( Saifabad palace). Wehave not so far received the minutes of the meeting.We recall ( a) The meeting noted the Hon’ble HighCourt’s judgment dated 31.12.04 “In case theCommittee expresses opinion to include it in theheritage buildings, it will be for the Government totake steps to amend the notification.” (b) TheHeritage Conservation Committee has since advisedthe government of its recommendation to includethe ‘G’ Block building in the Secretariat in the list ofnotified heritage buildings. (c) A committee ofengineers appointed by the state government statedthat it will not be worthwhile saving the buildingconsidering the high cost of preservation .

Conservation Committee, to whom the report ofthe committee of engineers was referred to by HUDAearlier, had reiterated their recommendation that theG Block should and can be preserved, and had notedthat the committee of engineers had never stated intheir report that the building was not capable ofpreservation, but the committee of engineers had onlyreferred to the cost of preservation. Historic buildingsshould be considered for protection not on the basisof the cost of preservation or its use but its historical,architectural, associational and other values whichabound in the G Block.

The meeting was participated in by Chairman,and members of the Heritage ConservationCommittee, ,Forum For A Better Hyderabad,INTACH, HUDA , Principal Secretaries of GAD,MAU & D, TR & B. concerned departmentalengineers (R & B ). Speakers after speakers from theHeritage Conservation Committee, ,Forum For ABetter Hyderabad, INTACH, stressed the values ofthe G Block and opined unambiguously for itsconservation. It was further stressed that the buildingwas owned by the government, and the A.Pgovernment was a pioneer in framing heritageregulations and it should show an example inprotecting a building with heritage qualities whichbelongs to it, as an eye opener to the private ownersof heritage buildings It is also noted that theengineers or any department of the government didnot contradict that the building was capable of beingsaved.

Considering all of the above discussions, weconclude that the meeting was in favour of thepreservation of the G Block. Accordingly, weearnestly request the government to preserve thebuilding and notify it as a heritage building, therebyhonouring the wishes of all and the sentiments ofthe Honourable High Court. . There should be no

A Representation dt. 28.8.2008 was submitted by FBH to theChief Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

Sub: G Block in the Secretariat premises ( Saifabad palace)

During the discussions it emerged that theengineers do not state that the building could not besaved; they only referred to the cost of saving. Onquestioning they opined that the building could stillbe preserved It was also noted that the Heritage

G Block Building was inspected by Sri M.VedaKumar, Dr. V.K. Bawa, Smt. Sanghamitra

Malik & Dr. M. Mandal

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reason for any further delay in taking the decision topreserve the building and such delay will only addto the cost of preservation.

Thanking you in anticipation.

M.VEDAKUMAR

C.C to: 1. Sri.K.S.Jawahar Reddy, IAS., TheCommissioner, HMDA, Hyd.

2. Sri.G.P.Rao, IAS., Chairman, HeritageConservation Commissioner, HMDA, Hyd.

3. Sri.Shravan Kumar, IAS., (Retd.,) Convenor,INTACH A.P.Chapter, Hyd.

We refer to the meeting on 27.2.08 by your predecessor on the above subject in which the Chairmanand members of the Heritage Conservation Committee, representatives of INTACH, and the undersignedparticipated. Principal Secretaries of GAD, MAU & D, TR & B. concerned departmental engineers (R &B ) also participated in the meeting. We enclose a copy of our letter dated , following the meeting, whichrecommended the conservation of the building without allowing further deterioration of it, and itsnotification as a Heritage Building. The letter is self-explanatory and contains all the relevant points thatneed to be considered in taking a favourable decision.

The then Chief secretary had promised to take an early action in the mater. So far, no progress hasbeen made to conserve the building. Efflux of time and absence of any maintenance will damage thebuilding, although its structure continues to be sound. You are requested to take a sympathetic view , andin keeping with the tradition of the A.P. state government in protecting heritage structures and its pioneeringlegislation on heritage conservation, please instruct the concerned authorities for its proper maintenanceand to take steps to notify it as a heritage structure which is clearly the intention expressed by the HonourableHigh Court of Andhra Pradesh. The relevant extract of the A.P.H.C’s judgment is contained in our earlierletter.

Thanking you in anticipation.

M.VEDAKUMAR

C.C to: 1. Sri.K.S.Jawahar Reddy, IAS., The Commissioner, HMDA, Hyd. 2. Sri.G.P.Rao, IAS., Chairman, Heritage Conservation Commissioner, HMDA, Hyd.

3. Sri.Shravan Kumar, IAS., (Retd.,) Convenor, INTACH A.P.Chapter, Hyd.

A Representation dt. 28.8.2008 was submitted by FBH to the ChiefSecretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

Sub: G Block in the Secretariat premises ( Saifabad palace)

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28th September 2008, marked the centenary ofthe historic flood which devastated the city ofHyderabad in 1908 which inundated large parts ofthe walled city and left thousands homeless. The fes-tering conditions were aggravated with the onset ofplague in 1911. Adding to the misery of the peopleof Hyderabad was the tragic loss of their ‘Beloved’King, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan.

It was in these trying times that the last Nizam,Mir Osman Ali Khan, ascended the throne in 1911.To provide lasting solutions to the perennial prob-lem of the rampaging Musi and to prevent a recur-rence of epidemics, it was essential to revamp thecity plan and introduce modern amenities. A dynamicruler with vision and determination, Osman AliKhan went about the task in a clearly defined man-ner. Prime importance was given to city planning.The need for a master plan, to ensure proper imple-mentation over a considerable period of time, wasacknowledged as a basic requirement. The City Im-provement Board (CIB), set up in 1912, was en-trusted with formulating long lasting solutions.Under the guidance of the renowned planner SirVisvesvaraya, the CIB planned and executed majorschemes to improve civic amenities. His recommen-dations stressed the need to prepare and follow a com-prehensive city plan.

The CIB schemes, apart from aspiring to reaf-firm Hyderabad’s place as the capital of India’s primestate were also an attempt at imbibing a sense of re-turn to normalcy after trying times. It was hoped tobe representative of the expectations of a populace re-covering from devastating calamities. It was projectedas the herald of a new dawn and inspired the citizensto don on the role of survivors. This is evident fromthe vernacular rendition of the CIB as ‘Aaraish-e-Balda’,implying embellishment and beautification.

THE MUSI CHARTER

Sajjad Shahid, Secretary, Centre for Deccan Studies

There is a palpable element of enthusiasm evi-dent in the proposals, reports and writings about thecity during the period of the CIB. They reflect thegeneral enthusiasm of the populace towards CIB pro-posals and their very effective results. Among vari-ous schemes reviewed was the need to provide forparks, open places and play grounds for use by thecity’s populace. Slum clearance, housing colonies, abrand new water supply and sewerage system, im-proved dust proof roads and other civic amenitieswere planned and executed. The implementation ofthese schemes improved living conditions in the cityand attempted to transform it from a decaying andunhealthy urban settlement to “a beautiful, healthyand efficient city” comparable to the best in the world.It is ironic that today, in a city with such a rich back-ground of enlightened planning, one associates thewords bagh and baoli with residential layouts ratherthan with greenery and water.

Almost a century after these great schemes wereplanned, the City has reverted to the conditions pre-vailing at the time of the disaster of 1908. Large ar-eas of the city are inundated whenever we have anysignificant rainfall. Numerous slums have mush-roomed all over the city and even well planned lo-calities are turning into festering slums due to un-checked and at times ‘regularised’ illegal develop-ment. A total failure of civic amenities, most oftenblamed on a booming population, has resulted in abare minimum and often contaminated supply ofdrinking water to a city which had ample reservestill a decade back.

The Centre for Deccan Studies and The Forumfor Better Hyderabad, in collaboration with otherNGO’s, activists and concerned citizens intend tobring focus on the total failure of urban planningwhich has resulted in chaotic conditions in the city.

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The proposed year long program commenced witha Memorial Meet on 28th September 2008, in theAfzal Ganj Park (now a part of the Osmania Hospi-tal), in memory of those who lost their lives duringthe floods. The memorial meeting also paid homageto those who survived the tragedy and had the re-markable confidence to overcome their personallosses and help rebuild our city.

along with major and minor schemes implementedunder the directions of such enlightened planners andadministrators like Sir Visvesvaraya, Sir NizamatJung, Ali Nawaz Jung and Dangoria also need to beprotected and preserved.

The Musi embankment, the Himayat Sagar andOsman Sagar Lakes along with numerous other wa-ter bodies, some of them dating from Kakatiyantimes, need to be protected as majority have beenreduced to a fraction of their original spread, whileothers have vanished under unplanned settlementswhich are now being ‘regularised’. These steps areessential to arrest further deterioration and preventfurther disasters.

Over the year, it is proposed to organize debatesand discussions involving organizations and individu-als dedicated to the welfare of the city in an attemptto come up with a detailed assessment of the prob-lems that the city is facing today. This exercise willidentify the major mistakes committed by plannersand administrators over the past few decades and willhelp in proposing lasting solutions towards improve-ment of quality of life for the citizens of Hyderabad.

Effective protection of built and natural heri-tage, trees and their importance, protection of lakesand water bodies, involvement of stakeholders in cityplanning, zoning, traffic management, protection ofthe environment and safeguarding culture are someof the issues which need to be addressed.

The areas of discussion have been identified as:

1. WATER MANAGEMENT :Storm Water Drainage Lakes & Water Bodies,Drinking Water.

2. HERITAGE :Protection, Conservation & Management

3. SLUMS & HOUSING :Problems, Prevention & Solutions

4. ENVIRONMENT :Pollution Control Measure & Monitoring, etc.,

5. TRANSPORTATION :Road Widening, Metro, MMTS, Inner City Re-strictions.

Few remember that the famous Tamarind treethat saved a hundred lives during the floods is partof this historic park. The meeting succeeded in draw-ing attention of the authorities to the need to de-clare as protected, this important facet of our natu-ral heritage. Also needing heritage protection, are anumber of plaques fixed on buildings and monu-ments at various locations in the city, recording theHigh Flood Level (HFL) mark on 28th September2008. These tablets fixed on mosques and publicbuildings like Masjid-e-Barq Jung at Petla Burj, TheResidency, etc. are being lost due to repairs and re-constructions being undertaken and need to be docu-mented, listed and notified urgently. The CIB of-fice at Basheerbagh, which was saved due to Judicialintervention as a result of public reaction to the threatof it being demolished by the Government, needsto be declared a heritage building. It is also desirablethat the restored pavilion be used to house a CIBMuseum. Examples of CIB housing which survive

at the memorial meet : Sri. M. Vedakumar,Dr. V.K. Bawa, Smt. V.K. Bawa, Sri. Sajjad

Shahid and Sri. Sravankumar

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6. PLANNING :Respect for Local Traditions, Architectural Con-trols, Street Furniture, Utilities

7. ADMINISTRATION :Involvement of Stakeholders, Transparency,Checking & Monitoring Apparatus, Urban ArtsCommission and other regulatory bodies withpublic participation

Preliminary interactions among organizations,concerning quite a few of the above topics have beeninitiated by The Centre for Deccan Studies and theForum for Better Hyderabad. Over the year, consul-tative meetings are planned and shall hopefully cul-minate in a draft of the Charter which shall be re-viewed at a two day seminar. The final comprehen-sive document, “The Musi Charter”, scheduled forrelease to the public on 28th September 2009, willenable coordinated action towards the protection ofHyderabad.

***

A Representation dt. 15.10.2008 wassubmitted by FBH to Sri.G.P.Rao,Chairman, Heritage Conservation

CommitteeSub: The legendary Tamarind Tree deserves

for notification as a Heritage Tree – reg.

***The legendary 400 year old tamarind tree which

saved nearly 150 lives, when the city was devastatedby floods in the river Musi 100 years ago in 1908.This historic tree, which was named ‘Prana Dhatri’by the then collector of Hyderabad, is locatedbetween Puranapul and Chanderghat in the premisesof Osmania General Hospital.

The Tree, with the above merits to its credit,certainly deserves to be notified as a Heritage Tree.Hence, we request you to consider our proposal andtake necessary steps to provide heritage status to thehistoric tree.

M. VEDAKUMARC;C to: 1. Sri.S.P.Singh, IAS.,

Commissioner, GHMC.2. Sri.Sudheer.K.Mohan, Chief City Planner, HMDA.

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� Lowering refrigeration temperature only wastespower. Set it between 150C &180C and thefreezer temperature between 30C & 50C.

� Shortening the hot-water tank pipe from 10 mto 3 m will save enough energy in one month toheat water for 10 showers; thin pipes are moreenergy-efficient than thicker ones.

� Avoid use of appliances between 10 am to 8 pmas it is a peak power consumption time.

� Computers use up to70% less electricity whenyou put them in sleep mode; so don’t use screen-savers.

� Replace incandescent bulbs with compactfluorescent lights.

� A laptop uses about 90% less energy than desktopmodels.

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The “Hyderabad Declaration” of Asia PacificParliamentary Conference on Environment andDevelopment (APPCED), called for a comprehensivecode of environmental ethics and integration ofenvironmental concerns into policies andprogrammes of economic development. It has alsothrown up new slogan- “Gross National Happiness”(GNH), instead of following wealth growth orientedconcepts like GNP or GDP.

The economic development is invariably builtupon an intensive use of energy and materials, whichdeplete natural resources, and cause environmentaldamage. Since mid-20 th Century, the globaleconomy has expanded fivefold, and the water use istripled and oil production rose nearly six foldincreasing environmental damage proportionatelyduring the same period. Over the 1960s and 1970sthe western world responded with increasinginvestments in pollution prevention and control.When Japan began to clean up its environment inthe early 1970s, pollution abatement investmentssurged up to 25 percent of all industrial investment.

As per the studies done by World Bank,Industrial Pollution load in Thailand went up 10times, when its GDP was doubled. It is thereforenot surprising, why Southeast Asia, East Asia, andChina, which have recently seen unprecedentedgrowth rates, are today suffering from extremely highlevels of pollution.

Even though India has not enjoyed the samelevels of economic growth, it is suffering fromincreased levels of pollution load. The results ofextensive study conducted to estimate the rise inpollution load from Industrial and Transport sectors,during the period 1975 to 1995 in the entire country,reveal that the rate of pollution has far overshoteconomic growth.

During this period, while the country’s GrossDomestic Product (GDP) has gone up by 2.5 times,vehicular pollution has escalated by shocking eighttimes and Industrial pollution has quadrupled. Theadage “Health is Wealth” lies buried in the smog thatengulfs the entire country, as the policy makers have

Development and Environment

Capt. J. Rama RaoVSM, FIE, Indian Navy (Retd)

consistently underscored the cost of death and diseasedue to environmental degeneration. It is obvious thatwe have failed to learn from the mistakes of the westand some of the Asian countries.

On the contrary, we talk of the unprecedentedgrowth rates of China and Korea as examples to beemulated for achieving targeted growth rates,unmindful of their impending adverse impacts. Theseambitious goals or targets may not be unrealistic butthey can be termed as disastrous, if we blindly pursuethem without learning from the mistakes we arecurrently making. It will be too late and tooexpensive, to act upon and to clean up theenvironment, once the Pollution disaster hits us withthe speed and magnitude of which we are not fullyaware.

The other aspect is that the calculations usedto produce the GDP, do not account for thedestruction of environment or depletion of naturalresources. Therefore this popular economic measureis extremely misleading. It tells us, we are makingprogress even as our ecological foundations arecrumbling.

The GDP figures quoted in 5-Year Plans, donot take into account the cost of restoring water bodiespolluted and destroyed, by Industrialization andunsustainable agricultural practices, the cost ofproviding water supply from alternate sources, thecost of enormous damage caused due to recurringfloods because of deforestation and soil erosion, thecost of man-days lost due to ill health and diseases,caused by water and air pollution, the cost of precioushuman lives prematurely lost and so on.

We need a better beacon - better measures ofeconomic accounting - to guide us towards asustainable path of economic development. Thedeclarations and policies need to be converted intoprogrammes and action plans, bridging the gapbetween them, if we really mean them.

Hope that “Hyderabad Declaration” will findplace in the policies and programmes of Governmentof India and AP Government, which are in the Saddleof Power from June 2009.

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The World Wildlife Fund probably surprisedmore than a few people last fall when it reportedthat Cuba stood alone among the planet’s nearly 200nations with high marks for both a healthy, educatedpopulace and low resource use.

The wildlife fund, in its latest “Living PlanetReport,”1 cited Cuba for the well being of its people– as measured by life expectancy, literacy and livingstandards – and for its light ecological footprint,making it the only nation to meet the wildlife fund’scriteria for sustainable development. Cuba hasbecome the role model for the world.

Cuba has treaded ever more lightly on the planetsince the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990sand Cuba lost more than half its annual oil importsovernight, crippling its highly industrializedagricultural system. Cuba faced an immediate crisis:how to feed and transport its people, as well as providethem with power, and a long-term challenge: howto develop a viable economy on far less energy.

Now, 15 years later, an energy, ecological andagricultural revolution marches on in this Caribbeanisland nation, with a new government plan to reduceenergy use by another two thirds.

“It’s very simple – oil will run out just as manyof the world’s minerals,” said Cuban President FidelCastro in a 2005 speech.2 His remarks echoed theconcerns of some oil analysts who predict that globalproduction will reach its maximum within thedecade, then irreversibly decline toward exhaustion.

CUBA’S LESSON FOR THE WORLDPublished in WellBeing Magazine (Australia)

By Megan Quinn Bachman, Outreach Director, Community Solutions(Courtesy: Dr.V.K.Bawa)

This event, known as peak oil, would forcenations to survive with far less energy, making Cubaa critical example for doing so while maintaining ahigh level of human development and a smallecological impact.

The wildlife fund’s report uses the UnitedNations Human Development index to measure anation’s well being. The ecological footprint, thereport says, includes cropland and other resources anation uses to produce food and other products,absorb energy-generating wastes and provide spacefor the built environment.

In presenting the report, wildlife fund presidentand CEO, Carter S. Roberts, referred to the voraciousresource consumption of industrial countries, saying,“For 20 years we’ve lived our lives in a way that farexceeds the carrying capacity of the Earth.”3

Cuba, on the other hand, has maintained a lowdemand on the biosphere while trying to survive afterthe Soviet oil cutoff.

To do so, Cubans brought agriculture into thecities, turning abandoned urban plots, parking lots,rooftops and patios into productive food gardens. Asmall group of Australians assisted in this grassrootseffort, coming to Cuba in 1993 to teachpermaculture, a design system to create sustainablefood gardens and edible landscapes.

Cubans also adopted organic productionmethods, free of petroleum-based pesticides, reduced

1 “Living Planet Report,” World Wildlife Fund, www.panda.org/livingplanet2 Speech delivered by Fidel Castro, at the Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of his admission to University of Havana,

November 17, 2005, http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/2005/ing/f171105i.html3 “New WWF Report Details Global Impact on Natural Resources,” World Wildlife Fund, October 23, 2006,

http://www.worldwildlife.org/news/displayPR.cfm?prID=322

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their energy-intensive meat production, and, withlittle fuel for aging cars, walked, biked, rode buses,and carpooled.

Although these lifestyle changes were traumatic,they had a positive impact on the environment andthe health of the Cuban people. Today, Cubansconsume less than one eighth of the energy of theaverage American, yet they have the same lifeexpectancy and a lower infant mortality rate.

Cuba’s Economic Crisis: The Special Period

“When the deep economic crisis began, in theearly 1990’s, it was a change in our lifestyle,” saidRita Pereira, a Cuban lawyer and women’s rightsadvocate. “We, all of a sudden, saw abruptly in amatter of a week’s time, a huge change.”

Known to Cubans as the “Special Period inTimes of Peace,” over the first few years after theSoviet collapse Cuba lost 80 percent of its exportmarket and its imports fell by 80 percent. The GrossDomestic Product dropped by more than one third.

“Try to image an airplane suddenly losing itsengines. It was really a crash,” Jorge Mario, a Cubaneconomist, said in an interview. The crash put Cubainto a state of shock. There were frequent blackoutsin its oil-fed electric power grid, up to 16 hours perday. The average daily caloric intake in Cuba droppedby a third and the average Cuban lost 20 pounds.

According to a report on Cuba from Oxfam,an international development and relief agency, “Inthe cities, buses stopped running, generators stoppedproducing electricity, factories became silent asgraveyards. Obtaining enough food for the daybecame the primary activity for many, if not most,Cubans.”

To keep the crisis at bay, the Cuban governmentdistributed food rations and imported 1.2 millionbicycles from China for emergency transportation.Yet the Cuban people were the real heroes, takingaction in their communities to survive.

“There are infinite small solutions,” RobertoPérez, of the Cuban-based Foundation for Natureand Humanity, said in an interview. “This is veryimportant, because otherwise you give the impressionthat the United Nations, presidents, and scientistswill fix the problem. But people have to start fromscratch and start to do small things.”

A New Agricultural Revolution

Small solutions started in Havana’s “barrios,”or “neighborhoods,” with communities clearing idleland to grow food. “The lack of fuel drove us tohave a very big shortage of food,” said Miguel Coyula,an urban planner, “So every vacant lot in the city wasturned into a garden.”

But with a lack of agricultural knowledgeproduction was slow. So a handful of Australianscame to Cuba to spread awareness of permaculture,a more small-scale and low-energy method of foodgrowing. The Australian permaculturists helped setup the first permaculture demonstration project witha $26,000 grant from the Cuban government.

Out of this grew the Foundation for Natureand Humanity’s urban permaculture center inHavana. “With this demonstration, neighbors beganto see the possibilities of what they can do on theirrooftops and their patios,” said Carmen López,director of the center, as she stood amongst grapevines, potted plants, and compost bins made fromtires.

Since then the movement has been spreadingrapidly across Havana’s barrios. So far López’ urbanpermaculture center has trained more than 400 peoplein the neighborhood in permaculture. One student,Nelson Aguila, an engineer-turned-farmer, raisesrabbits, hens, and gerbils for the neighborhood onhis integrated rooftop farm.

Today, more than 50 percent of Havana’svegetable needs are supplied by urban agriculture. Insmaller cities and towns, urban gardens supply up to100 percent of the fruits and vegetables residents eat.

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“The communities have changed. It’s a localeconomy,” said Pérez. “Now people are exchangingthings and we’ve recovered a sense of neighbor.”

Larger neighborhood farms, called“organipónicos,” fill vacant spaces and even oldparking lots. There are 7,000 such allotmentsthroughout the country. At the Organipónico deAlamar, a 0.7-hectare farm in a Havana suburb, theworker’s collective produces a rainbow of low-cost,healthy foods for their local community.

The Organipónico de Alamar also utilizes avariety of low-energy, organic agriculture methods.Hand tools and human labor replace oil-drivenmachinery, worm cultivation and composting createproductive soil, and drip irrigation conserves water.

Cuba now uses 21 times less pesticide becauseof its large-scale production of bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers since the Special Period.

Though the transition to organic productionand animal traction was necessary, the Cubans nowsee the advantages. “One of the good parts of thecrisis was to go back to the oxen,” said Miguel Coyula,a community development specialist, “Not only dothey save fuel, they do not compact the soil the waythe tractor does, and the legs of the oxen churn theearth.”

“The Cuban agricultural, conventional, ‘GreenRevolution’ system never was able to feed the people,”Pérez said. “It had high yields, but was oriented toplantation agriculture. We exported citrus, tobacco,sugar cane and we imported the basic things. So thesystem, even in the good times, never fulfilledpeople’s basic needs.”

In fact, Cuba’s agriculture was moreindustrialized than any other Latin American country,and it exceeded the amount of fertilizer used per acreof the United States. Now 80 percent of Cuba’sagricultural production is organic.

Drawing on his permaculture knowledge, Pérezexplained, “You have to follow the natural cycles, soyou hire nature to work for you, not work againstnature. To work against nature, you have to wastehuge amounts of energy.”

Energy Solutions

Because most of Cuba’s electricity had been generatedfrom imported oil, the shortages affected nearlyeveryone on the island. Scheduled rolling blackoutsseveral days per week lasted for many years. Withoutrefrigerators, food would spoil. Without electric fans,the heat was almost unbearable in a country thatregularly has temperatures in the 80s and 90s.

So the government implemented dramaticenergy-saving measures and announced a plan in 2006to replace its five centralized, oil-powered electric-generating plants with 4,000 smaller, decentralized,regional plants, supplemented with wind and solarenergy. Cuba is also burning sugar cane crop wastefor energy.

“Right now in Cuba, during the time of harvest,30 percent of the energy generated in Cuba comesfrom this renewable source of biomass,” said RachelBruhnke, an energy engineer.

Castro declared 2006 as the Year of the EnergyRevolution, and last summer there were no powerblackouts, thanks in part to a new governmentprogram to increase household energy efficiency.

Pat Murphy, executive director of TheCommunity Solution and producer of a new filmon Cuba’s low-energy example, said, “Thousands ofsocial workers are going throughout the countryvisiting homes to inventory their appliances,recommending replacements like pressure cookers,and providing, for free, fluorescent lights bulbs toreplace incandescent ones. It’s a grassroots effort withno big energy companies to counter it.”

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Another grassroots effort focuses on electrifyingrural areas with solar power. Recently 2,364 primaryschools throughout rural Cuba were supplied withsolar photovoltaic cells.

“The sun was enough to maintain life on earthfor millions of years,” said Bruno Enriquez, a directorof Cuba Solar. “Only when we [humans] arrived andchanged the way we use energy was the sun notenough. So the problem is with our society, not withthe world of energy.”

Transportation – A System of Ride Sharing

Cubans also faced the problem of providingtransportation on a reduced energy diet. Solutionscame from ingenious Cubans, who often quote thephrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

With little money or fuel, Cuba now movesmasses of people during rush hour in Havana, usingbuses, bicycle taxis, horse carts, and even hand-madewheelbarrows. One special Havana transit vehicle,nicknamed a “camel,” is a large semi-trailer speciallyconfigured for passengers, pulled by a standard semi-truck tractor, holding up to 300 people.

Government-enforced hitchhiking is alsocommon. Government officials have the right to pullover government vehicles with empty seats and fillthem with people needing a ride.

“Developed countries focus on making theautomobile more efficient,” said Coyula. “But youhave to spend energy producing the car and later youhave to find fuel to make the car move. So we needto think about reducing the number of cars.”

Bicycles now compete with cars on Havana’sstreets. At first, Cubans resisted the transition tobicycles. “It requires more consciousness and moreawareness about the use of the bicycle, that the bicycleis not something that we have to use because we don’thave fuel,” Coyula said. “The question is that thebicycle never contaminates, it’s more healthy, and forshort distances it’s very practical.”

Cuba also developed a long-term plan to makethe national transportation system more efficient,recently ordering 8,000 high-mileage buses fromChina and 12 locomotives to build up a rail system.

Health and Education – National Priorities

Cuba’s free medical and education systems werecritical in helping its people through the crisis. InCuba, there is a doctor for every 167 people, abouttwice as many per capita as the U.S. In addition, thefocus is on disease prevention rather than energy-intensive treatment.

With meat scarce and fresh local vegetables inabundance since 1995, Cubans now eat a healthy,low-fat, nearly vegetarian, diet. They also have ahealthier outdoor lifestyle and walking and bicyclingare much more common. “Before, Cubans didn’t eatthat many vegetables. Rice and beans and pork meatwas the basic diet,” Pérez from the Foundation forNature and Humanity said. “At some point necessitytaught them, and now they demand [vegetables].”

When the crisis hit, Cuba maintained its publichealth care and educational systems. “This is verydifferent from what happens, world wide, when thereis an economic crisis,” said Pereira, the Cuban lawyerand women’s rights activist. “The first thing they dois cut down on social services. This was not the casein Cuba.”

Cuba’s educated populace helped the countrydevelop innovative approaches to surviving with lessenergy. The literacy rate in Cuba is 97 percent, thesame as in the U.S. Cuba has a higher percentage ofprofessionals than most developing countries, andwith 2 percent of the population of Latin America,Cuba has 11 percent of all the scientists.

And Cuba’s future looks bright. In an effort tohalt migration from the countryside to cities duringthe Special Period, higher education was spread outinto the provinces, expanding learning opportunitiesand strengthening rural communities. Before theSpecial Period there were only three institutions of

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higher learning in Cuba. Now there are 50 collegesand universities throughout the country, seven inHavana.

The Power of Community

As the rest of the world realizes the need to beginconserving resources and reducing greenhouse gasemissions, they can look to this small island nationof 11 million for inspiration. But beyond organicfarming and ride sharing, the most enduring lessonmay be in its people’s ability to come together tosolve their own problems.

“Many urban gardens supply, for free, food toelder people’s circles, daycare centers, schools, workingcenters, and to pregnant women,” said Pérez fromthe Foundation for Nature and Humanity. “And theydo it for free and they don’t do it because it’scompulsory. They do it because they want to do theirpart for society.”

Cooperation, solidarity, and optimism are corevalues of the Cuban people. One often hears thephrase, “Sí se puede” or “Yes, it can be done.” Theyare proud of their accomplishments and firm in theirconviction for self-determination, despite threatsfrom the United States government to unseat theRevolution.

Still, others in the global community aresupportive of Cuba’s work. In 2006 the UN GeneralAssembly voted for the 15th straight time urging theU.S. to end its embargo of Cuba. In 1999, theSwedish Parliament awarded the Right LivelihoodAward, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” toCuba for its advances in agriculture. The recent reportfrom the World Wildlife Fund was merely the latestconfirmation of Cuba’s achievements.

“Cuba has modest experience that maybe someother people could learn from,” said Pereira,discussing Cuba’s role in the coming global energycrisis. “And I think it will be a time for sharing, atime for cooperation and a time for more solidarity,for working together. I think maybe we’ll have a betterworld.”

Megan Quinn, is the outreach director for TheCommunity Solution, www.communitysolution.org, anonprofit organization in Yellow Springs, Ohio, (USA)that educates about peak oil and community-basedsolutions. For information about its new documentary,“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived PeakOil” visit its website, e-mail her atmegan@communitysolution.org.

***

Extract from “Hyderabad-Once a City of Gardens” by C.Sarvotham Rao inFBH First Annual Number 2000-2001.

“ ………….Karnataka State Government passes the Karnataka Parks, Playground

and Open Space (Preservation & Regulation) Act in 1975. This Act prohibits construction

of any structures, temporary or permanent, which are likely to affect the utility of parks,

playgrounds and gardens in the Sate. As per the provisions of the Karnataka Tree Act,

planting of trees in the residential plots is compulsory.”

Readers will ponder over the actual state of affairs in Hyderabad city.

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Govt. devises 65 action points for all departmentsto follow,Progress to be monitored on a monthly basis,Target to bring 500 sq.km under green cover by 2012

NEW DELHI: With an eye on arresting theCapital’s carbon footprint, the Delhi Governmenthas identified a set of 65 action points that eachdepartment of the administration would have tofollow.

These pointers, put together in a volume titled“Climate Change Agenda for Delhi 2009-2010” andauthored by Delhi’s Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehtacover a variety of issues like noise pollution, airpollution and water pollution, municipal wastegeneration and greening.

“Each department has been assigned a set ofaction points, which they will have to follow andtheir progress will be monitored on a monthly basis,”Mr. Mehta said on Saturday.

The agenda that took a year to shape up issimilar to the one released by Prime MinisterManmohan Singh last year. “The challenges posedby climate change are a critical issue and each one ofus has a role to play in sustaining the eco-system andreducing the carbon footprint. The agenda lists theactions that need to be taken in this direction. Whilecertain steps have already been initiated, the agendawill help us strengthen them and reinforce the ideaof safeguarding the planet,” said Mr. Mehta.

He pointed out that a map for claiming carboncredits was being drawn and steps to reduce theemission of green house gases were under way.

“Apart from the areas of air, water and noisepollution that need to be addressed, we also need toadd land and knowledge to the list. If we addresseach of these five areas in a holistic manner and putin place an agenda to be followed over the next three

A BRAND NEW CLIMATE CHANGE AGENDA FOR DELHI

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

years, there will be a huge difference made to Delhi’senvironment,” he added.

The Chief Secretary said though Delhi has takena lead by switching over to eco-friendly CompressedNatural Gas, a cleaner fuel, transport still remains acritical area.

“Transport is the most critical area, we needmore buses and we need to integrate the Delhi Metrorailway and the bus service,” he said.

On the issue of water pollution, the new agendacalls for promoting decentralised wastewatertreatment systems to reduce carriage cost andmaintenance of large sewerage system.

While the targets for the State TransportDepartment include induction of more CNG buses,imposition of congestion tax to check growth ofvehicle population and the possibility of using lowsulphur diesel/petrol to reduce harmful emissions,the Department of Environment has been markedto work on the possibility of converting waste oilfrom commercial establishments into bio-fuel.

The Forest Department has been set a target ofbringing 500 sq.km under green cover by 2012 andopen a new eco-task force by 2009. Creation of about250 green buildings, increasing the capacity of solarwater heating, building retro fitment for 100buildings for energy efficiency and encourage the useof renewable energy to 5 per cent of the total energyproduced by 2012 are some of the targets for thePower Department.

The Delhi Jal Board’s brief is to increase theefficiency of water use to 20 per cent, check leakages,install water recharge system in 1,000 buildings andprovide sewer connections, complete 80 per centwork on the Renuka Dam project and restore waterbodies.

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The Earth, My poem

My pen is the hammer in the blacksmith’s hands,

I hammer words into shape as sharp as the

farmer’s plough-share, the golden Sita on

the furrows, ragged like the carpenter’s saw,

I extract from the grains of hard timber,

words strained by the blood of experience,

like sure arrows from the Santhal male’s bow,

words become ardent in my blood, flesh and desire,

some of them stand high as mountains,

some lie low like rivers,

while others are low like grave as lake,-

not at anybody’s beck and call.

I am a poet of the vast continent

studded with rivers and mountains,

the earth is my poem.

(Asamiya Poet Hiren Bhattacharya)

***

Targets have also been set for the EducationDepartment, the PWD, the Health Department, theDelhi Police and the Industries Department.

“Efforts like introduction of compact fluorescentlamps, setting up of air ambience fund to providesupport for battery-operated vehicles, mandatory use

of solar water heaters in all buildings above 500 sqmetres, nine new city forests and waster to energyprojects will be intensified to ensure the properimplementation of the agenda in helping check theadverse impact of climate change.”—

***

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UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME - UNEPWWDR3 Side Publication on Ecosystem Management

Chapter 4: Lessons from Implementing an Ecosystem Management Approach in IWRM

Dr. M.S.Kodarkar,Secretary, IAAB, Hyderanad, Andhra Pradesh, India andMember, Scientific Committee Sci-Com,International Lake Environment Committee ILEC, Kusatsu, Japan

Case StudyOsmansagar and Himayatsagar

(The twin drinking water reservoirs in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India)

1. DESCRIPTION OF LAKES :

Conceived by one of the brilliant engineering minds of India, Mokshagundum Visweswarayya, the twodrinking water reservoirs, Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, were constructed about 100 km to the north-west of Hyderabad city as a part of disaster management after devastating floods in the river Musi in 1908(Table 1).

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Table 1. Physiography of Osmanasagar and Himayatsagar, Hyderabad.

Parameter Osmansagar Himayatsagar

Catchment (Km2) 740 1,307Surface (Km): 22 21Length (Km): 8.8 7.8Width (Km): 5.1 4.2Maximum Depth (M): 31.7 23.9Shore line (Km): 44.2 35.4Full Reservoir level (FTL) in feet 1,790.00 1,753.50Stirage capacity at FTL (in TMC) 3.900 2.967

2. GOODS AND SERVICES :

A. Drinking water supply : The two reservoirssupply more than 6 Thousand Metric Cube (TMC)of drinking water almost free of cost, meeting 5 to10% of total potable water demand of the sixthlargest metropolitan city of India. The water is of avery high quality and needs minimum treatmentbefore it is supplied by gravity to areas forming partsof old city.

B. Biodiversity and fishery : High biodiversitysupported by the two ecosystems confirm their goodecological health. For example, Osmangasar has 27species of algae, 31 species of zooplankton and 17species of fishes. The biodiversity linked structuraland functional integrity of ecosystems points tohealthy environmental status of the lakes whichsupport flourishing fishery and fast vanishingirrigation in the command.

C. Recreation : The two lakes are used forrecreational purposes and are developed in to picnicspots with well laid gardens and public amenities.

3. DEGRADATION IMPACTS :

A. Interruption of natural flows :

The water shed of two reservoirs is about 584Km2 and in the last few years has undergonesignificant alteration on account of large scale rainwater harvesting structures. A recent study haspointed out that for every 5 acres or 2 hector area ofthe water shed there is some intervention or the other

in the form of check dams, percolation tanks orcontour trenching. In effect, these structures haveblocked the water flows on such a scale that in recentyears the water bodies are not reaching up to FullTank Level (FTL) and during some years have evengone completely dry. The problem of reservoirhydrology is further compounded by perceptiblechange in the monsoon pattern in the last 25 years.

B. Eutrophication :

Of late pockets of both the reservoirs areshowing signs of eutrophication due to urbanizationalong the littoral villages for want of sewage treatmentfacilities. For example, Chilkur, once a sleepy ruralsettlement, has emerged as the great pilgrimage centredaily visited by thousands of people. It is right onthe shore of Osmansagar and has definite degradativeimpact on the ecosystem. Same is the case with urbancenters in the catchment.

C. Bio-conservation zone :

Way back in 1996 the state Government hadissued G.O.Ms.No.111 that has a number of veryimportant provisions for conservation of the twodrinking water resources. As per this GO up to 10Km peripheral area from full tank level (FTL) isdeclared as the conservation zone and establishmentof polluting industries, major hotels and residentialcolonies is prohibited. Unfortunately many violationsof the protective provisions have resulted in toenvironmental degradation of all the three attributesviz., basin, reservoir and command of the reservoirsin recent years.

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4. CHALLENGES :

Since their inception the reservoirs are supplyingquality water and in the last 60 years a lot of problemshave cropped up which are a result of changing landand water use patterns and urbanization of thereservoir basins. To meet the challenges thecomprehensive GO 111 was issued with excellentprovisions for long term sustainability of the waterresources.

The real challenge is in finding the answer forhow to meet developmental demands and economicaspirations of population in the basin at the sametime maintaining ecological integrity of thereservoirs.

Hyderabad has a strong people’s movement andthe civil society demands can be articulated in thefollowing lines:

a) Obstruction to the inflow of water by check damsand other type of water harvesting structures needto be removed to ensure natural water flows tomaintain hydrology of the reservoirs.

b) Organic farming needs to be promoted withpossible incentives to help the farmers make thetransition to meet their legitimate economicaspirations. This will reduce the load of pesticidesand fertilizers on the water resources.

c) Funding has to be provided to revive the reserveforests in the catchment areas of both the reservoirsand the same be declared as the protected areas/national parks. .

d) No commercial activities of polluting nature beallowed in all the three components of theecosystems viz., Basin, Reservoir and Command.

e) A high level committee with representatives fromkey Government departments and civil society beconstituted which will on a quarterly basis reviewactual scenario on enforcement of GO 111.

f ) Decentralized and ecologically sustainable sewagetreatment systems have to be encouraged in thebasin habitations by a suitably designed subsidy

policy to avoid ground and surface waterpollution.

g) All the 22 in-lets feeding both the reservoirs haveto be marked with the help of moderntechnologies like Global Positioning System(GPS) and remote sensing and cleared of theobstructions.

6. LESSONS LEARNED :

1. Drinking water resources (lakes reservoirs, riversetc.) need a special protection from degradativeinfluences arising from the basin and point andnon-point sources around the ecosystems.

2. A water resource basin exerts profound influenceon the ecological health of the ecosystem, in turn,affecting goods services and needs to be given toppriority in the water resource management.

3. Land use, topographical alterations andhydrographic interventions have influence on theenvironmental flows and ecological health of awater resource. Particularly, the inflow channelsneed protection to sustain hydrography of a waterresource.

4. A synergy needs to be established between basinand lake based and dependent communities. Thisrequires Institutional mechanism (a singleauthority) to coordinate inter-departmentalactivities, conflict resolution and decision makingprocess to maximize benefits to all thecommunities.

5. The upstream area need to be promoted into acertified agriculture export zone and incentives onthe lines adopted for Special Economic zones(SEZ) may be given to make agriculture moreremunerative and sustainable for the farmers.

6. Alternate income generation to meet legitimateeconomical aspirations of basin communitiesthrough introduction of eco-friendly incomegenerating activities has potential to preventnegative developments that can have adverseimpact on the water resources.

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7. The laws enacted to protect water resources needto be implemented in letter and spirit. If need beexisting laws need to be amended or even newones are enacted in tune with emerging challengesto long term sustainability of the water resources.

8. Handling the diverse impacts emerging fromurbanization of reservoir basin is the real challengefor long term sustainability, ecological integrityand un-interrupted flow of goods and servicesfrom a water resource. In this context, two aspectsi.e. sewage management and industrialdevelopment have special place. While sewageneeds to be handled as a resource rather than as awaste management issue, industrial effluents byvirtue of their toxicity need effective treatmentand safe disposal.

9. Strong people’s organizations, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) andknowledge and information based networks havea special place in the integrated ecosystemconservation and management. Theseorganizations function as watch dogs facilitatingor opposing different processes involved in thegood governance.

7. KEY REFERENCES :

Hyderabad Urban Development Authority(HUDA) (2005) National seminar on Managementof urban lakes – 1-2nd December, 205. Proceedings.

ILEC (2005) Managing lakes and their basinsfor sustainable use : A report for lake basin managersand stakeholders. International Lake EnvironmentCommittee Foundation. Kusatsu, Japan. Proceedingsof Lake Basin Management Initiative ILEC/Lake NetWorkshop for Asia. 1-4th September 2003.

Kodarkar, M.S. (1995) Conservation of lakes,case study of five lakes in and around Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh, India. Publ.3.Indian Association ofAquatic Biologists (IAAB), Hyderabad. PP : 85.

Kodarkar, M.S. and Sandeep Joshi (2006)Conservation and management of lakes in urbanenvironment; bioremediation a new frontier in thecontrol of eutrophication in urban lakes. Proceedings.Vol. II, World Lake Conference Nairobi, Kenya. PP: 79 – 82.

World Bank (2005) Lessons for managing lakebasins for sustainable use. Environment DepartmentReport No. 32877. Washington, DC : World Bank.

Zafar, A.R. (1959) Taxonomy of lakes.Hydrobiologia, 13(3) : 187 – 299.

Extract from “Save Lakes For a Better Future” in FBH Annual 2000-2001.

“In the city and surrounding ten municipalities, the area under water bodies has come

down from about 22 to 6.4 sq.km. i.e., decline of 72 percent from 1988 to 1999.

…………………Land grabbers are taking undue advantage of the involvement of multiple

Government agencies and lack of co-ordination among them for protection of lakes. This is

further aggravated by manipulation of revenue records and lack of records regarding ownership

of lands in the lakebeds in particular….” Readers can guess the change in last decade –

increase or further decline?

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THE KILLING OF THE SECRET LAKE

Deepankar Dutta

Very few have seen the secret lake in the 70’s &early 80’s, it was a place rarely visited, lost amidst thehills & boulders of erstwhile rocky terrain ofHyderabad. It was a place totally untouched &unspoilt by human habitation, a virgin hilly land witha meandering water body with only a part of it visibleto people who came to see it by chance, and couldnever retrace their way back the next time, withoutgetting lost among the numerous dirt tracks of thenJubilee Hills Layout. What was really enchantingwas the sheer beauty of the place, a natural lake withhills all round with an occasional distant sound oftruck horns breaking the tranquility & peace of theplace. There were times, when one could stand onone end and shout or scream at top of the voice &hear the multiple echoes, rebounding from alldirections, giving one an eerie feeling especially duringthe late evenings, when the sun has just gone down,on the other side of the lake. It was a place where onecould spend hours sitting on the rocky outcropsurrounded by only hills & boulders, thorny bushes& water weeds and watch the lake waters slowlyhitting the rocky fringes and going back to hit again.The water clear & shimmering in the sunlightthrobbed with marine life. One could easily sight

longer the secret lake it used to be, the secret hasnow caught the public eye! Durgam Cheruvu is atourist attraction now, with boat rides, cafeteria,exclusive restaurants & an event spot, teeming withpeople & vehicles. The apartment complexes, the IToffices & general encroachments have made such apretty lake into a stinking & ever shrinking waterhole. The natural charm of the surrounding has beenlost forever, the water body which once served as asource of drinking water for the then Nizam is nowreduced to a sewage pool. No matter what has beendone to save the lake, the measures have been totallyout of place. The 50 KL/D STP is far inadequate tohandle the sewage & other waste flowing into thelake from adjoining areas. This has resulted in massscale pollution of the water body, which is extremelysad & deplorable. The government has not takenany steps to prevent encroaching of lake bed by realestate developers nor has it given directions to APIIC/ Info- tech city developers not to locate any buildingor complex near the lake. The rampant growth ofthe area & opening it to the general public has totallyleft the lake in shambles, which becomes a stinkingcesspool in summer & an overflowing sewer in therainy seasons. The whole scenario is one of apathy; abeautiful spot has turned into a murky place, purelydue to commercial overtones & illogical planning.The eco-system which once surrounded the lake hasbeen killed for ever and perhaps in the days to come,the lake itself will disappear from the face of the City.

fish and occasionally water snakes & crabs.(2 photostaken in 1981 are reproduced)

All these seem to have faded into the distantpast; the whole place has undergone tremendoustransformation in the name of development. It is no

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HYDERABAD URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITYNo.3195/PR/H/2000 Dated: 4-5-2000

NOTIFICATION ON PROTECTION OF MAJOR LAKES IN HUDA AREA

1. Protection of lakes and water bodies has assumedgreat importance in recent years for the followingreasons:

� Recharging of ground water

� Recycling as valuable sources of water for variousurban uses

� Development of the fore-shore areas as recreationaland picnic spots

� Serving as essential lung spaces for the large urbanpopulation

� For maintaining ecological balance as a long termobjective

Accordingly lake and water conservation is one ofthe most important goals of the 12th Phase of theJanmabhoomi Programme.

2. Hyderabad and it’s surrounding areas have manylarge and important lakes. The Hyderabad UrbanDevelopment Authority has compiled a list of 169lakes which are 10 Hectares (25 acres) and above inextent. Ownership of all the lakes does not vest withthe Government. While 62 lakes are fullyGovernment owned, 25 are in private hands and 82are owned partly by Government Departments andpartly by private individuals. However, even privateownership of land does not entitle the owners toreclaim or destroy the lakes or use them for housingand other urban uses. This has also been clearly speltout in Section 48 of the Telangana Area IrrigationAct, 1357 Fasli.

3. In the interest of planned development and forthe protection of environment for the population atlarge, the Government hereby notify the list of 169large lakes for public information. The total extentof the lake and the name of village are stated in thelists. The entire areas falling within the Full TankLevel (FTL) of the lakes as per the Survey of Indiamaps, must be kept free from any type ofconstructions irrespective of ownership or any landuse of Master plan/Zonal Development Plans thatmay have been previously notified. In addition, abuffer belt of 30 metre width on all sides of eachlake must be kept free from any type of constructionin the interest of prevention of pollution to the lakesand to allow free flow of water to the lakes.

4. All local bodies: Municipalities and GramPanchayats, in whose jurisdiction these lakes fall, arehereby directed to take steps to exercise utmostvigilance to prevent any type of encroachments,reclamation, pollution or damage of any type to the

Lake infront of Taj Banjara

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lakes listed in this Notification. They are also directednot to grant any permission for buildings or structuresof any type within the Full Tank Level (FTL) andwithin the 30 metre buffer belt around the lakes underany circumstances.

5. Members of the public are advised not to purchaseany plots for residential or any other developmentaluses in and around the above mentioned lakes, sinceall such constructions are likely to be removed indue course and the violators prosecuted against underthe provisions of laws and regulations in forceincluding the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

6. HUDA has taken up in a phased manner thedevelopment of selected lakes by way of fencing, bundformation. de-silting, fore-shore plantation andconstruction of treatment plants even in respect oflakes which are not fully Government owned.

7. Members of the public are requested to bring tothe notice of local Municipalities, Gram Panchayats,

the police, Irrigation and Revenue Departments incase any damage is being caused by someone to theselakes so that suitable action can be taken by theenforcement authorities. Since these lakes and waterbodies are spread over a large area of about 2000 sq.km round the clock policing is not practicable andtherefore close monitoring by local residents is vital.

8. This Notification is issued in the public interestfor ensuring a healthy environment for the twin citiesand also to protect the interest of gullible citizenswho may invest their life’s savings in a plot in lake-beds and face hardship. Plots in lake-beds are alsounhygienic beside posing danger to life and propertyof the inhabitants in the event of excess rainfall.

9. If properly protected, many of the lakes have thepotential of providing precious water for drinkingand other purposes besides helping in replenishingground water.

10. Interested persons may contact the Office of theHyderabad Urban Development Authority for detailspertaining to the location of these lakes.

1). 6-3-1190, Green Lands Guest House, Begumpet,Hyderabad -500016. Andhra Pradesh, INDIA.

Tel: +91-40-23400682, 23400683/684/685

2). Greater Hyderabad Municipal CorporationBuilding, North Zone,

West Marreddpally, Secunderabad.

3). District Commerical Complex, HUDA Building,Tarnaka, Hyderabad - 500007.

Lake infront of Wipro

***

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S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

1 Himayat Sagar Lake 2148.68

2 Osman Sagar Lake 1958.46

3 Hussain Sagar Lake 549.32

4 Mir Alam Tank 335.07

5 Fox Sagar (Kolla Cheruvu) 199.71

6 Inne Cheruvu 198.12

7 Shamirpet Cheruvu (part) 97.06

8 Lakshminarayan Cheruvu 94.50

9 Turka Yamjal Cheruvu 77.49

10 Pedda Cheruvu 75.60

11 Sikam Cheruvu 73.40

12 Patancheru Cheruvu 64.58

13 Ralsamudra Cheruvu 61.74

14 Rampally Cheruvu 59.88

15 Mallamma Cheruvu 56.00

16 Jilavarkhan Cheruvu 53.58

17 Pedda Cheruvu 50.40

18 Bomraspet Cheruvu 50.00

19 Saroornagar Tank 49.50

20 Pedda Cheruvu 48.83

21 Gurram Cheruvu 47.70

22 Lungerhouz Tank 46.71

23 Pedda Cheruvu 43.75

24 Boin Cheruvu 40.95

25 Maisamma Cheruvu 39.69

26 Meddal Cheruvu 39.38

27 Pedda Cheruvu 37.80

28 Chandanagar Cheruvu 36.88

29 Yanke Cheruvu 36.54

30 Sunnam Cheruvu 36.23

31 Devattamma Cheruvu 32.51

32 Sikham Cheruvu 32.13

x33 Pedda Cheruvu 32.00

34 Kamuni Cheruvu 31.50

S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

35 Umda Sagar 31.50

36 Yelimela Kunta 31.50

37 Gandi Cheruvu 31.25

38 Pedda Cheruvu 30.87

39 Gadi Cheruvu 28.35

40 Srivaru Cheruvu 28.35

41 Dundigal Cheruvu 28.35

42 Miryalguda Cheruvu 26.78

43 Jadar Kunta 26.46

44 Sultanpur Cheruvu 26.46

45 Brahmanpally Cheruvu 25.52

46 Durgam Cheruvu 26.23

47 Kollur Cheruvu 25.20

48 Baroog Cheruvu 25.00

49 Lakshminarayan Cheruvu 24.57

50 Naramuna Kunta 24.57

51 Aprya Cheruvu 24.26

52 Nanakramguda Kunta 23.94

53 Burhankhan Cheruvu 23.65

54 Pedda Cheruvu 23.63

55 Teegalasagara Cheruvu 22.05

56 Malla Cheruvu 22.05

57 Rai Kunta 22.05

58 Sumaru Cheruvu 21.88

59 Mallampet Cheruvu 21.87

60 Kummari Kunta 20.79

61 Rainder Kunta 20.76

62 Pedda Cheruvu 20.50

63 Kuntlur Cheruvu 20.48

64 Pedda Cheruvu 20.16

65 Gagilapur Cheruvu 20.16

66 Cherial Kunta 20.00

67 Pedda Cheruvu 20.00

68 Suram Cheruvu 19.80

List of lakes larger than 10 hectares in Hyderabad Metropolitan Area

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S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

69 Intaya Cheruvu 19.65

70 Medchal Kunta 19.53

71 Timmakka Cheruvu 19.53

72 Pedda Cheruvu 19.21

73 Nadimi Cheruvu 18.90

74 Kuruma Cheruvu 18.78

75 Nalagandla Cheruvu 18.75

76 Pare Cheruvu 18.75

77 Pudur Kunta 18.75

78 Somaram Kunta 18.75

79 Yapral Kunta 18.75

80 Yeerala Cheruvu 18.00

81 Ghanapur Kunta 17.64

82 Muthyal Kunta 17.64

83 Patancheru Kunta 17.64

84 Bandlaguda (Nagole) Cheruvu 17.64

85 Turka Cheruvu 17.50

86 Balapur Cheruvu 17.33

87 Pirzadiguda Cheruvu 17.07

88 Boduppal Cheruvu 17.01

89 Palle Cheruvu 16.80

90 Mantrala Cheruvu 16.70

91 Pedda Cheruvu 16.70

92 Aushapur Kunta 16.38

93 Hakimpet Tank 16.07

94 Kudi Cheruvu 16.00

95 Chintal Cheruvu 15.78

96 Edulanagupally Kunta 15.75

97 Patla Cheruvu 15.75

98 Safilguda Cheruvu 15.75

99 Gundala Cheruvu 15.63

100 Bowrampet Kunta 15.62

101 Kotha Cheruvu 15.43

102 Dubba Kunta 15.12

103 Dungal Cheruvu 15.12

104 Girmapuram Cheruvu 15.12

S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

105 Gopi Cheruvu 15.00

106 Nalla Cheruvu 15.00

107 Manikonda Khalsa Cheruvu 14.80

108 Gun Cheruvu 14.50

109 Pochana Cheruvu 14.50

110 Bachipalli Cheruvu 14.50

111 Moosapet Kunta 14.49

112 Pishakbowli 14.18

113 Nadergul Kunta 14.18

114 Dharni Cheruvu 13.86

115 Patancheru Kunta 13.86

116 Moosapet Cheruvu 13.86

117 Pochamma Kunta 13.55

118 Noormohammed Cheruvu 13.50

119 Irlakunta 13.23

120 Nandikalvu Cheruvu 13.00

121 Kasurrani Kunta 12.92

122 Madharam Kunta 12.92

123 Sahebnagar Kalan Cheruvu 12.91

124 Pavakaran Cheruvu 12.81

125 Dabirpur Kunta 12.72

126 Kadukunta Cheruvu 12.60

127 Nalla Kunta 12.60

128 Narsaram Kunta 12.50

129 Pedda Cheruvu 12.50

130 Thumkunta Cheruvu 12.50

131 Pedda Cheruvu 11.97

132 Pothraj Kunta 11.97

133 Chandanagar Kunta 11.88

134 Manikonda Jagir Kunta 11.85

135 Patel Cheruvu 11.66

136 Nacharam Kunta 11.65

137 Qutbullapur Kunta 11.65

138 Makta Mahboobpet Kunta 11.34

139 Mala Kunta 11.34

140 Marri Kunta 11.34

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S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

141 Mohini Cheruvu 11.34

142 A. Kunta 11.25

143 Pedda Cheruvu 11.25

144 Chinna Cheruvu 11.03

145 Khadi Cheruvu 11.03

146 Narla Kunta 11.03

147 Alwal Cheruvu 11.03

148 Eaghameri Kunta 10.84

149 Maisireddypalli Kunta 10.71

150 Sutar Kunta 10.71

151 Jeedimetla Kunta 10.63

152 Khanamel Cheruvu 10.33

153 Bommal Cheruvu 10.08

154 Rampally Kunta 10.08

155 Turka Yamraj Kunta 10.08

156 Bachipalli Cheruvu 10.08

S.No. Name of Lake/Kunta Approximate Area (hectares)

157 Antappa Cheruvu 10.00

158 Gurunath Cheruvu 10.00

159 Kazi Cheruvu 10.00

160 Marripally Kunta 10.00

161 Masani Cheruvu 10.00

162 Medpally Kunta 10.00

163 Nagole Cheruvu 10.00

164 Poora Cheruvu 10.00

165 Shamirpet Kunta 10.00

166 Suran Cheruvu 10.00

167 Vanam Cheruvu 10.00

168 Velgalkunta Kunta 10.00

169 Gollapally Cheruvu 10.00

Source: HUDA notification dated 4th May 2000,Hyderabad.

Note: Names of some of the lakes are similar butthey are located in different villages.

Filling up of Banjara Lake:

Based on a news item that the Lake outside HotelTaj Banjara on Road No.1, Banjara Hills is beingfilled up, the Forum had taken up with HMDAand the Hotel Management.

HMDA have not yet replied to our letter of 18th

March. But Taj Banjara Hotel have replied that theproject on Rehabilitation and Rejuvenation ofBanjara Lake adjoining the Hotel was approved by

Ministry of Environment & Forests with APTDCLas nodal agency and “minimum filling of water body”has taken place. Dr. Jasveen Jairath and Sri.O.M.Debara, accompanied by GM and ChiefEngineer of the Hotel went around the site and foundminimum filling up of the lake . They were toldthat a Sewage Treatment Plant will be set up in thenearby grave yard and a dam will be constructednearby to store treated water before being released tothe lake.

***

Extract from “Water Pollution” by M.V.Nayudu in FBH Annual 2000-2001.

“…………..two large domestic sewerage channels from Kalyani Nagar and Kavurulayout flow into Durgam Cheruvu a mini Hussainsagar effect – as Tourism Departmentand HUDA have turned a blind eye……………….Durgam Cheruvu will dry and…….”

Visitors to Durgam Cheruvu will know the answer.

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Activity Method Qty. Method to Qty. Qty. saved

Adopted used Ltr. be adopted required Ltr. Ltr.

Brushing teeth Running tap Tumbler

for 5 min. 45 or Glass 0.5 44.5

Washing Hands Running tap Half filled

for 2 min. 18 wash basin 2.0 16.0

Shaving Running tap Shaving

for 2 min. 18 mug 0.25 17.75

Shower Letting Wet down,

Shower run tap off,

while soaping 90 soap up, 20.00 70.00

staying under rinse off

Shower too

long

Flushing Toilet Using old Dual system

fashioned short flush

large 13.5 liquid waste, 4.5 4.5 or morecapacity or more Full flush 9.0

cistern solid waste

Watering plants Running hose 120 Water can 5.0 115.00

for 5 minutes

Washing floor Running hose 200 Mop and 18.0 182.00

for 5 min bucket

Washing Car Running hose 400 Buckets (2) 18.0 382.00

for 10 min

Water is too Precious to be Wasted! Do You Know How Much Water Being Wasted Unintentionally?

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The Bholakpur incident

By Naram Krishna Rao* and Dharmendra Pala

Eighty percent of our sickness is due toconsumption of contaminated water. Thisenormous amount of suffering can be overcome bysimple methods. But not much is done to mitigateit. In a water supply system like ours, a regular checkon the quality of water is essential. A simple test forthe presence of chlorine in the water at all places inthe system, especially in vulnerable areas like slums,will ensure safety to a large extent. Full analysis iscarried out by the Institute of Preventive Medicinein Narayanaguda. A few drops of the orthotolidinesolution will reveal the presence of chlorine in thewater by lending a distinct colour to it. If needed,chlorine can be added in the service reservoir of thearea. If there is still no chlorine at the user level,water supply should be suspended and alternatearrangements made. In these periods, people shouldbe asked to boil the water before use. Even the tankerwater should be tested for chlorine and also the sourceof its water verified. These are the things publicshould be made aware of through education.

Very little of this seems to be carried out here.The feeling among the scientists of the I.P.M. is thatprompt action is not being taken even when waterafter tests, is found unwholesome. Take Bholakpurfor example. An estimate for rectifying the defect inthe area must have been prepared only on noticingit. And according to them, tenders were invited butno contractor came forward to carry out the work.The defect in the system remained and men, womenand children continued to fall sick. Action was tobe taken immediately on noticing the defect. Thereare probably several Bholakpurs waiting to happen.Time is the critical factor.

A regular leak detection programme will revealvulnerable points in the system. The official figurefor the water unaccounted for is 35% of the supply.This is due to unauthorized connections and leakages.If there are leaks in the system, contamination isbound to occur. We have an intermittent system ofwater supply. Whenever the valves in the mainpipelines are opened, water rushes through creating apartial vacuum in the system. As a result, wastewater outside the pipeline gets sucked in. Since thesewer system also can have leaks, the possibility ofsewage sucked in is high. And there are many pittaps due to low pressure in the area. The house-connections often pass through the nearby drain. Itmay leak as well as its connection point with watermain. These points of pollution are often lost sightof.

There is only one way of preventing pollutedwastes entering the pipelines. To keep it underpressure always. This means, a continuous roundthe clock supply has to be maintained. This is oftenbeing promised but no action has been initiated forobvious reasons. Thirty-five percent unaccountedwater is huge loss. And then, even the approvedquantity of water coming into the city has been cutdown probably for other uses. The national waterpolicy of according the highest priority to water meantfor drinking is set aside.

It is clear that the desired importance is not givento this most vital need of the people. Is it becauseeven though the very health of the people dependson the quality of water supplied, there are no lawsmandating its supply either in quantity or quality?

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If the same water is sold in bottles, the seller can beprosecuted under the food adulteration act. After allwe as consumers, pay for the water we get.Sometimes the excuse of having insufficient funds istrotted out. But we forget that it costs more to treatpeople when they fall sick than to improve the watersupply system, not to talk of the suffering of thepeople. Earlier the Life Insurance Corporation ofIndia used to lend money for water supplyimprovements. This helps LIC itself financially asthe policy holders have an increased life span whichwould otherwise be cut short due to sickness. Thissaves money that would otherwise be paid onpremature deaths.

It is necessary that a watchdog organization iscreated to ensure proper water supply. In the earlierWater Board Act of 1982, there was atleast a provisionfor three members to represent the consumer. Thisprovision was dropped in 1989, when the Board wasreconstituted. The Forum For A Better Hyderabadmay find a solution for the peoples’ voice to beheard effectively.

* Mr.Krishna Rao Naram is a former ChiefEngineer (Public Health) and former MemberSecretary, APPCB.

Visual Presentation of Scrap Metro, a Peaceful Persuasion

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Hamein to badi pyaas lagi hai,Pur hamein milega kahaan swacch paani?Hyderabad mein sub kuch hai,pur kyaHai paryapt maatra mein peene ka swaach paani?

Taalab saare sukh rahein hain,Musi nudi, na jaane kahaan kho gaya hai!Nalon mein paani aata sirf boond boond,Hazaaron feet zameen taley bhi paani, kahaan hai?

Paani ko log karte hain zaaya,Kisi ko zara bhi purwaah nahiin hai,Hur sookhe taalab pur makaan khade hain,Apna pyara sa khoobsoorat shahar, kahaan hai?

Varsha ho gaya hai kum, sookha budta ja raha hai,Janwaron aur pakshiyon ko ho rahi pareshani,Mineral water,Coke aur Pepsi ka hai bol bala,Pur kahaan milega ek glass swacch,nirmal paani?

Keval March hi ka mahina hai jab,Phir bhi gurmi kitni hoti hai,

Tabhi se tankeron ki itni maang dekhkar,Hamara ji to bahut ghabrata hai.

Mun bahalao aur manoranjan ke sadhanon koKuch zyada hi badhawa diya ja raha hai,Pur in cheezon ki kya ahamiyat hai,Jab shahar mein, pani hi nahin raha gaya hai.

Bade dinon se aisa sunne mein aa raha hai,Ke Krishna ke saath Godavari nudi ka paani bhi aaraha hai,Kya us se hoga samadhan hamare is samassya ka?Kucch hud tak, ho bhi sakta hai,Agar karein buchhut, hur boond paani ka!!!!

GLOSSARY:——Paryapt—sufficient, zaaya—waste,nalon—taps,

munbahalao—amusement, Maang—demand,

Manoranjanke sadhanon —means for recreation,

Ahamiyat—importance, samadhaan—solution, samassya—problem.

Paani Hai Kahaan

by Sanghamitra Malik

Heritage week celebraqtions by AP State archeology Omar khalidi presetation by CDS

A glimpse of Heritage Programs

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A Representation dt. 21.10.2008 was submitted by FBH to theMetropolitan Commissioner, HMDA

Sub: Re-iteration of our suggestions and recommendations onproposed law for protecting Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar.

Ref: Our meeting on 3.10.2008

***

At the outset we would like to thank you, forinviting us to the above referred meeting and hopeHMDA will continue this process of dialogue/consultation where the opinions/suggestions of civilsociety groups are important for the overall successof a government plan.

We would like to summarize the points laid outby our members at the meeting for your referenceand perusal.

1. No commercial activities of polluting nature areto be allowed in all the three components of thelake ecosystems viz., Basin/water shed/catchment, Water Body and Down stream areadefined by GO 111. The commercial activitiesparticularly happening in the name of resortshave to be checked immediately and legalproceedings have to be initiated against violators.

2. Penalties on violations by any professional groupshave to be dealt firmly and blacklisting orderegistering them should be done on toppriority.

3. Existing violations in terms of layouts,constructions like residential houses, villas,commercial, institutional, recreational andindustries etc., should not be regularized and legalproceedings have to be initiated.

A high level committee on the lines of HeritageConservation Committee in HUDA orConsent For Establishment/Consent ForOperation committee in APPCB withrepresentatives from key departments and civilsociety has to be constituted which will on a

quarterly basis review actual scenario onenforcement of GO 111.

4. All projects, as are permissible under the GO inthe catchments, above a suitable financial limithave to be cleared by the above committee.

5. Obstruction to the inflow of water by checkdams constructed by Govt. agencies should beremoved immediately.

6. All the 22 Nalas feeding both the reservoirs haveto be identified (with the help of moderntechnologies like Global Positioning System(GPS) and remote sensing), marked and clearedof all obstructions. A no-construction bufferzone of 50-100 meters has to be demarcated allalong their route to prevent obstructions andpollution.

7. Decentralized, ecologically sustainable sewagetreatment systems have to be encouraged in thecatchment habitations by a suitably designedsubsidy policy to avoid ground and surface watercontamination of the lakes.

8. Reports by EPTRI on upstream and downstreamshould be made public immediately without anyfurther delay to uphold values of transparencyand good governance as envisioned in RTI.

9. Organic farming has to be made mandatory inthe upstream area (lake basins) and all possibleincentives have to be immediately declared tohelp the farmers make the transition. This willprevent pollution of water in both the reservoirsfrom pesticides and fertilizers.

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10. The upstream area can be promoted into acertified agriculture export zone and incentiveson the lines adopted for Special EconomicZone’s may be given to make agriculture moreremunerative and sustainable for the farmers.

11. Funding has to be provided to revive the reserveforests in the catchment areas of both thesereservoirs and classifying the same as protectedareas/national parks can be looked into toprovide the same further protection. This willhelp in better inflows into the reservoirs.

12. To meet rising commercial aspirations of peoplein the lake basin/catchment, a synergy needs tobe developed between basin communities andurban population through introduction of eco-friendly activities (Cycling routes/ hikingactivities/ organic markets/ Nature trails etc.).

13. The cases of two drinking water reservoirs inMumbai (Tulsi and Vihar) may please be studied

as models for protecting Osmanagar andHimayatsagar. The two Mumbai water bodiesare so well protected that there is absolutely nochance of any pollution/ degradation with verywell protected basins, water bodies and downstream zones.

The above are a few of our suggestions. Themost important suggestion apart from the above isthat the proposed law should have very stringentpenalty provisions, not merely financial, onviolation of it and there have to be clearlyestablished norms for fixing the responsibility onerrant officials.

We hope that proposed Ordinance will furtherstrengthen the existing GO 111. Further HMDAwill share with us the first draft of the proposedordinance as promised by you in the meeting. Wealso hope that our suggestions will be examined witha fair view and suitable provisions will beincorporated in the law to operationalise them.

M.VEDAKUMAR

Rededication to Principal’s Office of in old Gandhi Medical College (Heritage Building) to the people

Raccha banda at Mehdipatnam on Hyd.traffic transportation

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Government Order No. 68, dated 3.2.2009:

It has indeed happened: The Government has,under the HUDA Zoning Regulations 1981, issuedfinal notification of 15 Rock Sites as HeritagePrecincts. The Society to Save Rocks had firstproposed these sites between 1997/1999 and again– in a consolidated list of 20 - in 2006.

At these sites “all development, building andlayout permissions … shall be referred to theMunicipal Commissioner, the HMDA (previouslyHUDA) and Heritage Conservation Committee…No mining activity shall be allowed.”

This is a significant step forward in the Society’sefforts for the preservation of Hyderabad’s fascinatingrocky landscape.

These are the sites:

1. Fakahruddingutta, Nanakramguda Road

2. Moulali Hillock and two adjacent Hills3. Sentinel Rock, near Moulali4. Skull Rock, Madhapur5. Hamburger Rock, NITH Campus,

Gachibowli Road6. Pahar-e-Shareef7. United-We-Stand Rock, M.A.Urdu University

Campus, Gachibowli Road

Notification of 15 Rock Sites under Heritage Regulations

Ms.Frauke Quader, Society to Save Rocks

8. Pathar Dil, M.A. Urdu University Campus,Gachibowli Road

9. Rocks around Peeran Shah Wali Dargah,Peerancheru, Osmansagar Road

10. Ridge behind Malkam Cheruvu, Sheikpet11. Dattatreya Temple Rock, Asifnagar12. Allabanda Hill, Sitarambagh13. Gangabowli ka Pahar, Gangabowli14. Rocks around Ghaar-e-Mubarak (Bare Imam

Gutta, Sakirgutta), behind Taramai Baradari15. Rocks around Shameerpet Lake

(Vekateshwaragutta, Jawahar Deer Park, Rocksin Reserved Forest)One Site has been dropped by the government

without explanation (Kaithlapur Rocks nearMoosapet), another formation was already built over.

Three Sites out of the original list of 20 fall inthe Cantonment Area and are not under HMDAjurisdiction. HMDA has asked the DirectorCantonment Board to look after their protection(Adagutta/Mahendra Hills, Gun Rock andTrimulgherry Dargah

Details of all notified sites with location mapsare on our website www.saverocks.org.

Notification does not mean absolute physicalprotection. We all need to keep a vigil on thesesites and watch over their safety.

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I The Problem

Felling of trees in the name of development hasbeen resorted to in Hyderabad for long. The axeclearly rules over alternatives to tree felling, and lawssuch as WALTA (see box) that prohibit tree cutting,except in exceptional circumstances, are more oftenthan not overlooked. No doubt the state governmentspent a lot of money in coining slogans such as ‘clean

Provisions of WALTA 2002. WALTA Rules 2004 re Trees

28(1): Compulsory tree plantation with number of trees and their maintenance , while approving buildingplans ( Does not appear in building plans displayed).

28(3): No felling of trees or branches permitted without prior permission of designated officer. Wherepermitted, not less than two seedlings in lieu thereof by concerned person

29(1) : “Any person, institution, organization or department, public or private, providing a public orprivate utility service including Roads and Buildings department, Energy department of theGovernment and Telecommunications Department shall ensure protection of trees and theirbranches while developing their infrastructure or carrying on their activities”

29(2) : Wherever laying of new roads or widening of existing roads involves cutting of existing trees, theAuthority may issue suitable guidelines for protection of such tree growth as it deems fit

30(1): The Authority may formulate guidelines for tree plantations along with the road margins, canalbanks, tank-fore shores, and water bodies.

30(4) : The Govt may constitute a committee for protection and maintenance of the plantations raisedin the lands outside the forest and the said committee shall function

A struggle for Tree Conservation. Achievements and Tasks ahead.

Dr. M.Mandal

and green’ Hyderabad and devised posters eulogizingthe virtues and benefits of trees but right in front ofsuch slogans trees were cut brazenly. The stategovernment did spend a huge amount in plantationof saplings at regular intervals, but compensatoryplantation was neither planned properly nornourished. The biggest violators of WALTA were thedifferent wings of the State and the CentralGovernments.

Hyderabadis felt sad and disturbed each time trees were felled for road widening or for construction offlyovers. But their protests were sporadic and not sustained.

II The Struggle begins. Story of Dialogue withstakeholders.

The turning point came when a 200-year-oldbanyan tree at the entrance of Paigah palace (erstwhile HUDA building ) was cut down alongwith 32 Ashoka trees on May 5, 2008, at the requestof the US Consulate for security reasons. The latteris housed there on a temporary basis.

This was the proverbial last straw on the camel’sback. There was a ground swell of public opinion.The media highlighted the issue. Children in thelocality wept over the loss of the tree. The USembassy came out with a denial that they had notasked for the removal of the tree.

Several civil society organisations ( CSOs ) cametogether under a banner at the initiative of the ForumFor A Better Hyderabad. Organisations like COVA,

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Extracts from our letter of 17.5.08 to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests

TREE FELLING AT RAJENDRANAGAR

Tree-felling has been taken up to widen the road from Indra Reddy statue to Himayatsagar. TheForum for a Better Hyderabad team went for a site inspection and noted with distress that the forestdepartment has given the necessary permission to cut the trees without examining the alternatives asrequired under WALTA.

There is land available on the right side of the road, belonging to the University and could easily havebeen acquired to make a double lane with the trees forming a central divider. And the road would havebeen a beautiful, shady, tree-lined avenue. The forest department should not have given permission to cutthe trees, unless these options and other options were examined by the authorities seeking permission.

WWF, Apna Watan, CHATRI, Hum SabHindustani Trust, Concerned Citizens, TuragaFoundation, Forum For Sustainable Development,Hyderabad Action Group, Children’s Academy, Rightto Walk Foundation, Citizens for a Better PublicTransport in Hyderabad, Coalition For Peace &Harmony took part in protest demonstrations.Prominent individuals voiced concern. A team fromINTACH, Hyderabad Chapter , visited the site andexpressed shock and condemned the felling of theancient banyan.

On 8.5.08, a delegation of concerned citizensmet the Commissioner of GHMC as GHMC hadsanctioned the felling. The Commissioner expressedhis shock over the felling, apologized and immediatelyissued an order revoking all tree felling permissionsgiven so far and said that no fresh permissions wouldbe given. He decided to constitute a committee toreview applications seeking permission for fellingtrees. He also promised to get the banyan tree’s trunkoutside Paigah palace restored if possible (Times ofIndia 13.5.08).

However, on June 2008, Times of Indiareported the felling of 12 trees on Banjara Hillsroad no 1 in front of the Vengala Rao park, byGHMC to make space for the landing of the

under construction flyover. The concernedexecutive engineer and the additionalcommissioner of GHMC denied responsibility forthe felling and blamed it on the unauthorizedaction of the contractor. The Commissioner againapologized for the incident and this time got thestubs of the trees transplanted to the nearbyVengala Rao park.

But the city was still losing some precious trees.In another incident in May, 2008, seven huge banyantrees, that were at least 100-years-old were felledat Rajendranagar by the R&B department towiden the road from Indra Reddy statue junctionto Himayatsagar. The tree felling was sanctioned bythe forest department. The trees were even burntfrom the roots so that there was no hope left forthem sprouting leaves again. At least 20 more treeswere under immediate threat when Forum membersvisited the site and later arranged a joint visit withthe Forest Department officials including the DFO,the R & B Officials, etc and succeeded in stallingfurther cutting. There was a positive response fromthe contractor who left the place along with hisworkers, trucks and tools. Steps were taken to realignthe road, and to translocate trees which could notbe retained, but no tree will be cut.

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FBH and the concerned citizens of Hyderabad further demand from the forest department that :

Further felling of trees along the route be stopped immediately by issuing a blanket ban on felling ofany tree,

The procedure for giving permission be streamlined, the discretion to give permission be vested insufficiently high authorities in the forest department and any extraneous pressure to extract permission befirmly resisted. The process of taking a decision be minuted, with all facts,

In every case, all alternative options to save a tree must be explored. As a rule, a tree, when it needsremoval, must be relocated rather than felled. Technology is available and the cost of relocating should beof no concern for saving a tree,

Large, old trees which have large carbon-absorbing capacity, e.g., a banyan tree, have to be treated ona separate footing, and compensatory plantation ( 3 to 1) cannot compensate the cutting of such trees.This must be kept in mind,

Compensatory plantation must be near to the site where a tree is cut, and must match the type, sizeof a felled tree,

Forest department must demand from the authorities connected with road widening, metro project, drainage, laying of cables, etc, i.e., which may affect the existing trees, to advise their plans sufficientlyin advance to the forest department so that the latter can plan relocation of trees, replacement wherenecessary of trees of the same species, same size, etc.

[In his reply dated 9.6.08 to the Forum, from the Conservator of Forests observed:

“… the other alternatives of Tree Felling were not examined by Field Officials before giving fellingpermission.

“In order to take stock of the field problem, the undersigned has visited the proposed road alongwith the Divisional Forest officer, Executive Engineer, R & B, and other officials. Representatives fromForum For a Better Hyderabad and a few other persons having expertise of tree translocation visited on9.6.08. ………..the experts informed that translocation of these trees is possible. It is also observed thatat 0/2 Km, there is a lot of vacant space available towards the right side of the road and in that case a slightrealignment of the road toward the right side can save at least 15 to 20 Ficus trees from felling.

“ In view of the above, there is need to study the feasibility of change of alignment with a view tosave the considerable number of trees towards left side of the road at first instance;

Since there are many Agencies in the city who can offer translocation facility at competitive price ina short time, their services may be utilized by the department for translocating remaining trees to asuitable location.”

He requested the Engineer-in-Chief , R & B department to prepare inventory of similar nature notonly for this road but for all future proposals involving felling of trees so that all the options available areexamined and exhausted before resorting to tree fellings.

The Conservator of Forest endorsed this letter to Shri M.Vedakumar, President, Forum, “withcompliments”.]

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Letter dated 10.6.08

Cutting of trees at Rajendranagar road.

Conservation of trees during road widening and other building projects.

We and a number of other NGOs visited the site. On R & B department’s application, forestdepartment had given them permission to cut about 400 trees and several trees were already felled. On9.6.08 the Forest Department arranged a review of the situation followed by a meeting on site in whichthe deputy conservator of forests, the DFO, officials from the R & B department, and two experts ontransplantation of trees and we, participated. We found that there were alternatives to the felling of trees,and it was quite possible to widen the roads to the desired extent, without felling the trees. There is scopefor slight realignment of the road to save the trees, where this is not possible the trees could be transplantednearby for which technology and local expertise are available and the cost is affordable , and only in therarest of the rare cases should a tree need to be felled – which decision should be taken only by an expertbody after exhausting all other options.

The R & B department officials agreed to prepare a fresh proposal for widening the roads as perrequired width while preserving the trees. We request you also to advise the R & B department officialsto undertake this exercise by access to expert help if necessary and the funds. The Forest departmentwould thereafter look at the need, if any at all for felling of trees, keeping strictly in view the WALTA andthe preponderant need to save trees. Meanwhile, all permissions so far given by them for felling willremain suspended.

The model of Rajendranagar site can thereafter be replicated for other sites where tree cutting hasbeen asked for.

Several departments have issued instructions to defer further cutting without a fresh review. TheForest department has also issued a circular freezing all permissions already given till re-examination andwithheld giving new permissions. We have also written to the Chief Secretary in the matter.

We believe that development of infrastructure and conservation of natural resources like trees cantake place without conflict, with forward planning, proper sensitization towards conservation of nature,and use of latest technological innovations. For this purpose, we request you to issue the followingguidelines for your staff:

* Where trees stand in the way of your execution of a project, first try realignment of a road, adoptflexibility in alignment , to save trees, as is done for sensitive religious structures. If this is not possible, thenext option will be to transplant an existing tree to another location, for which local expertise and manpoweris available and neither the time required nor the cost therefor is excessive. An application for fellingshould be made in the rarest cases, after exhaustively examining all other options. The decision to applyfor felling must be taken at a high level and not in a routine manner. A committee approach, involvingexperts and appropriate NGOs, should be taken for arriving at such decisions.

Examine how your projects under the master plan, and those contemplated outside it, will affect theexisting trees on location. Thereafter, please make an advanced planning for conservation of trees thatwould interfere with your projects. Of the(se) trees, some can be transplanted, for others compensatoryplantations can be taken up well in advance so that replacements of the right species and age are ready

We wrote on 10.6.08 to the Principal Secretary, Transport. Roads & Buildings).

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We felt there is a need to take a decision at the apex State Level for all departments. On 22nd May2008 we met the Chief Secretary. We explained the problem and gave several constructive suggestions.

Extract from letter dated 22.5.08 to Chief Secretary:

Problem Areas

There is a definite absence of proper co-ordination among the regulatory authorities for these activitiesso that roads are being dug again and again, widened and re-widened, divider on roads created and thenremoved, trees are planted and then uprooted again.

Similarly, enforcement is hopelessly lacking by GHMC/HUDA/SCB so that building regulationsare violated invariably.

Hyderabad is fast losing its green cover and the quality of the environment, which should causeconcern, specially in the context of global warming, to one and all. Wide roads, glittering malls, multi-storied apartments, huge cars, are not going to save or enrich lives when water sources are choked, greeneryis obliterated and there is no clean air to breathe! Paupers and the rich will be equally devastated in such asetting.

All these are happening because of lack of advanced planning, and for not adopting a model ofsustainable development - A model that, on the one hand, develops infrastructure and, on the other,promotes environment in the affected areas!

Our Constructive Suggestions

Simultaneous Project and Tree Planning: An advanced planning for conservation of trees that wouldinterfere with the projects of various departments/agencies of the government (such as those for roadwidening, flyovers, metro rail project, BRTS, laying of telephone lines, electricity cables, water/seweragepipes, high rise and commercial buildings, R&B, underground cables) should be made at the same timewhen these projects are planned. These plans and projects can be identified from a careful study of themaster plans of HUDA, GHMC, HMDA, SCB, etc.

Thereafter, of the trees that would interfere with the projects, some trees can be transplanted, forothers compensatory plantations can be taken up well in advance, and proximate locations of compensatoryplanning earmarked as such, as essential part of the planning for these projects. This would ensure thatreplacements of the right species and age are ready if and when a tree has to be removed. As of now,compensatory plantations are supposedly taken up after a tree is felled, not matching with the species orage of a tree, or consideration of its carbon-absorbing capacity.

Felling of a tree must be a last resort. Alternatives such as transplanting to another location, irrespectiveof cost, culturing from its branches ( as possible with a banyan tree); skirting a road around a tree, as donefor sensitive religious structures, must be considered first.

when a tree has to be removed, and proximate locations of compensatory planning be earmarked, asessential part of the planning for these projects. In essence, please make tree conservation an integral partof your project plan, and provide the necessary budget therefor.

Meanwhile, we request you to defer action on all existing permissions received by you for tree-cutting. You may also make the allocation of funds for translocation.

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At present, application for cutting a tree is made at a very junior level of a department. Permission forcutting a tree is given by the forest authorities at a lower level of authority, e.g., a forest ranger often underpressure.. …We suggest, a decision to apply for permission to cut a tree, and a decision to grant permissionto cut a tree, be taken at a sufficiently high level of the concerned authority. All alternative options shouldbe called for and examined. The decision-making should also be recorded for scrutiny by a higher levelauthority.

Freeze permissions for Review: Pending the finalization and adoption of a suitable procedure, allexisting permissions given for tree-cutting by different departments be frozen. Suitable instructions maybe issued under your authority to all other departments concerned of the government and other bodiesregulated by the government, such as: HUDA, HADA, SCB, HMDA, MAUD, panchayats, allmunicipalities in the state, etc .This may delay a developmental activity, but the alternative is to lose a treeforever.

Open Declaration of Statistics: Information on the number of trees cut, the departments cuttingsuch trees, the compensatory plantations made as required under WALTA, should be published, startingfrom a given year, so as to check the matching of plantations with the trees felled, in terms of the number,age, species, survival for more than three years, of the plantations, and the proximity of their locations tothe locations of the felled trees.

Awareness about Green Laws: WALTA, other related Acts, GOs etc. should be widely publicizedthrough advertisements and leaflets so as to create community consciousness of the laws and modalities toprotect the trees. Simultaneously, the local MROs’ - who are the field level govt. authorities for receivinginformation officially - name, contacts should be publicized. Road widening /HMWS&SB /Electricity /Telephone /R&B / Underground cables/HUDA plans that involve possible cutting/transfer of trees – tobe made public knowledge.

Effect of METRO project on trees – needs to be spelt out and informed to public prior to projectlaunch

Underground cables to replace overhead cables so that trees do not have to be cut.

Police/ other authorities may be instructed to officially back the vigilance of trees by citizens.

People’s role in New Plantation: To plant/nurture trees – to be made mandatory in new localities,institutions, corporate offices, public/private buildings, along the roads, in parks, SEZs, MNCs, privatelayouts etc

Simultaneously, the Forum organized a series of brainstorming meetings with different Residents’Associations to create public opinion, vigilance against tree cutting and also to think of ways and means ofconserving and promoting greenery without hampering development of infrastructure.

The Forum also wrote to and met various interested parties responsible for tree felling such as,GHMC, HMDA, HMWS & SB), Hyderabad Airport Development Authority, R & B Department of theState Government, Pr. Secretary, Transport, Roads & Buildings ( TR & B), a few MROs, the Metro RailAuthority , and of course the Forest department officials at all levels. We wrote also to the Chief GeneralManager, Outer Ring Road, HUDA, Tarnaka in June 2008

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As a general rule, we request you to consider the following options:

Every effort should be made to bypass a tree as is done for sensitive religious structures. And imaginationshould be applied for re-aligning the roads, without decreasing its width. This is possible .

Transplant an existing tree to another location, irrespective of the cost. The technology and localexpertise is available for such exercise which is not prohibitively expensive.

Before asking for permission for felling of a tree, every other option to circumvent the cuttingshould be explored.

Expert advice should be taken for this purpose.

To ensure proper application of mind, a request to cut a tree should be made by a high-level authorityand not at a junior level, in a routine manner, as is now done.

A committee approach, involving experts and appropriate NGOs, should be taken for arriving atsuch decisions.

Further, we request you also to make an advanced planning for conservation of trees that wouldinterfere with your projects. For this purpose, please

examine how your projects under the master plan, and those contemplated outside it, which takequite a few years to be finalized, will affect the existing trees on location.

Of the trees that would interfere with the projects, some trees can be transplanted, for otherscompensatory plantations can be taken up well in advance, and proximate locations of compensatoryplanning be earmarked as such, as essential part of the planning for these projects. This would ensure thatreplacements of the right species and age are ready when a tree has to be removed.

Kindly take up this crucial exercise now in coordination with the HUDA/GHMC/Forestdepartment.

A common refrain in these letters was:

We wrote around 21.5.08 to the builders’ associations and made the following suggestions to themfor the conservation of trees while they undertake building activities.

Letter to builders’ associations

Simultaneous Project and Tree Planning: As soon as you contemplate a building project, make anadvanced planning for conservation of trees that would interfere with the project. Thereafter, of the treesthat would interfere with a project, some trees can be transplanted, for others compensatory plantationscan be taken up well in advance, and proximate locations of compensatory planning earmarked as such, asessential part of the planning for these projects. Felling of a tree must be a last resort. Alternatives such astransplanting to another location, irrespective of cost, culturing from its branches ( as possible with abanyan tree); skirting construction around a tree and rocks, making them an integral part of the construction,must be considered first. Avoid applying for cutting of a tree. Create awareness about Green Laws, suchas WALTA, other related Acts, GOs etc., among your employees, sub-contractors and among yourclients.

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Times of India organized a series of meetingsfor several months at their office to build publicopinion against tree felling and for preservation oftrees. They invited activists, experts, prominentpersons to deliberate. They gave wide publicity tothe deliberations of these meetings, to each and everycase of tree cutting. They also organized a seminaron the subject at FAPCCI on the subject and thusbrought the issue into public domain.

Meanwhile, the Forum officials visited every sitewhere tree cutting was taking place or beingcontemplated, along with the officials of the forestdepartment, R & B and GHMC to study thesituation on the ground and work out measures toprevent tree cutting without hindering road widening.TOI correspondents also readily accompanied us andcovered the events prominently in the newspaper.

We visited the roads from Rathibowli to APPolice Academy and from Tipu bridge to Kokapet

junction , proposed to be widened to be connectedto the outer ring road, to suggest relocation of trees( 2.7 08).

At some of these places, the road alignment waschanged, and the first experiments for treetransplantation were started.

Extract from a letter dated July 2008 by Executive Engineer ( R & B ) Radial Roads Division,AC Guards, Hyderabad:

“ The R& B officials, District Forest Officer, Hyderabad and Shri Vedakumar Forum For A BetterHyderabad along with others have inspected the road on 1.7.08 and concluded that necessary informationwill be communicated by the division to the Forum before taking up road alignment activity and samewill be inspected again by Forum, the District Forest Officer, Hyderabad and then proceed with work asper practical suggestions.”

The story of saving trees is long but here are afew highlights,

The Forest department issued a circular freezingall permissions already given till re-examination andwithheld giving new permissions.

We met the Chief Secretary again on 4.7.08. Aletter signed by a large number of civil societyorganisations was submitted to him under the caption‘Save the Trees’. A copy of this letter wassimultaneously submitted to the Secretary,Environment & Forest, Principal Secretary,Transport. Roads & Buildings, Special Chief

Secretary, Additional Secretary, Energy Department,Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,Commissioner & Special Officer, GHMC, ViceChairman, HUDA, Principal Chief Conservator ofForests( Production), Engineer-in-chief (Roads), R& B department, Chief Engineer, NationalHighways, R & B department, Chief Engineer,NABARD, R & B Department, Director & ChiefGeneral Manager, Outer Ring Road, HUDA,Principal General Manager, BSNL, ManagingDirector, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply &Sewerage Board, Collector, Hyderabad District ,Collector, Ranga Reddy District.

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Extracts from the letter dated 4.7.08 to the Chief Secretary.

Save the trees

Road widening

Since the date of our writing the above-mentioned letter ( 19.5.08) to you, we tested on the groundthe feasibility of our various suggestions to you. A major threat to trees comes from the widening ofroads. We recently traversed two major routes undergoing road widening , along with senior officials ofthe forest department, and engineers from the radial roads division of the R & B department. One routewas at Rajendranagar from Indra Reddy statue to Himayatsagar. The other route was the roads fromRathibowli to AP Police Academy and from Tipu bridge to Kokapet junction , which are proposed to bewidened to be connected to the outer ring road. We found that with some imagination and concern forconservation of trees, it is possible to conserve the trees while widening the roads to the prescribed width.

These two roads were studied on a sample basis and a successful experiment of widening thesestretches without felling the trees could surely be replicated for the remaining 32 radial roads, given thewill.

In general our suggested line of action to the Forest department is as follows:

Examine re-alignment of stretches of a road , while maintaining its prescribed width, to save trees/tree lines. This should be possible in many cases with or without acquiring new lands

Where realignment is not feasible, and some trees have to be removed, they may be relocated to alocation as proximate to the site as possible.

Technology and local expertise is available for translocation of trees, and a panel of such experts andthe rates of payment to them should be finalized without delay.

Where the above options are not feasible, and only in the rarest of rare cases, can some trees beallowed to be felled. Such trees should, however, exclude trees of native species, such as banyan, tamarind,neem, etc., and may include trees like rain trees, trees recently planted, etc.

In all cases, where felling is permitted, prior plantation of trees of the matching species, in a locationas proximate to the site as possible, must be ensured. Preference should be given to plantation of nativetrees, fruit bearing trees which attract birds. The maintenance of the new plantations must also be ensured.

Forest department must insist that all project authorities that apply for the removal of trees incorporatethe conservation of the existing trees located in their project area/circuit, as an integral part of theirproject planning, and submit such proposal sufficiently in advance to the Forest department. This shouldbe quite possible, as all projects are conceived much before their actual implementation starts. …….. asof now, on the contrary… these project authorities approach the Forest department at the last momentwhich builds pressure upon them to sanction lest a project gets delayed, without examining all otheroptions. In fact, some officials admitted that they had never considered earlier any other options to treefelling.

The Forest department should adopt a committee approach for examining applications for fellingof trees, and advise the designated implementing official. Such a committee should include experts andappropriate civil society organisations in sufficient strength, in addition to the officials.

Metro railway project and other projects.

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The same approach for tree conservation as suggested in the case of road widening should be taken inregard to other projects including the Metro railway project. ( Except that for MRTP, change of alignmentmay not be possible – so transplantation will have to be considered.) A census of trees that would interferewith the projects of various departments/agencies of the government (such as flyovers, metro rail project,BRTS, laying of telephone lines, electricity cables, water/sewerage pipes, high rise and commercial buildings,R&B, underground cables) should be made at the same time when these projects are planned, Eachconcerned agency should be required to make a detailed plan for conservation of existing trees in theirproject area as an integral part of their project planning. These plans and projects can be identified froma careful study of the master plans of HUDA, GHMC, HMDA, SCB, etc.

All existing permissions given/ received for tree-cutting by different departments be frozen and re-examined afresh by a committee because till now no options were at all considered other than tree felling.A multi -department task force may be formed to examine all cases, for saving the trees that fall in theway. The committee should include experts and representatives from civil society in sufficient strength.Suitable instructions to this effect may be issued under your authority to all other concerned departmentsof the government and other bodies regulated by the government, such as: HUDA, HADA, SCB, HMDA,MAUD, panchayats, all municipalities in the state, etc .

Enforcement of WALTA

The A.P. State Water, Land and Trees Authority ( section 3 of WALTA) needs to be active and functional,and frame and implement proper guidelines. It is also responsible to guide and make functional the District,Division and the Mandal Authorities. Unfortunately, they are not so as of now. We look forward to you asthe Vice Chairman of the State Authority to take immediate suitable action to make both the State Authorityand the other level Authorities functional and effective.

Simultaneously, we wrote to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. Hyderabad, in the context offelling of trees at Rajendranagar for widening the road from Indra Reddy statue to Himayatsagar, andthe roads from Rathibowli to AP Police Academy and from Tipu bridge to Kokapet junction , proposed tobe widened to be connected to the outer ring road. Lining the latter roads are over 2000 trees of which manyare native species.

Extracts from our letter dated 4.7.08 are given below: the points made in this letter have been alreadystated in our letter to the Chief Secretary, quoted in the previous box. Only additional points not statedtherein have been stated here.

We refer to our earlier letter dated 16.5.08 expressing our concern at indiscriminate felling of treesat Rajendranagar We also traversed on 1.7.08 the roads from Rathibowli to AP Police Academy andfrom Tipu bridge to Kokapet junction. On our request, permissions already given for felling of trees havebeen kept under suspension till a fresh review, while no new sanctions for felling are being given till allother options to save the trees are exhaustively examined.

In general our suggested line of action for the Forest department is as follows:

The Forest department, as implementing agency of WALTA should independently examine thisaspect (re-alignment of stretches of a road , while maintaining its prescribed width, to save trees/ treelines) and not simply rely on a certification by the concerned project authority. . Outside experts may alsobe engaged for the purpose, if necessary.

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On 29.9.08 The Times of India reported that15 peepul trees had been cut near Cyber Towersin Hi-Tech city for a proposed flyover. The Forumtook up the matter with the Commissioner, HMDAon the same day informing him of the advanced stageof the formation of the Committee, as desired bythe Chief Secretary, to reconsider all earlierpermissions given for felling of trees and that till suchexercise was completed existing permissions remainedsuspended. We requested him to stop any furtherfelling of trees until these permissions wererevalidated by the Committee. And to appoint aninternal committee to re-examine all such permissionsafter considering all options as mentioned in apreceding paragraph, and submit afresh applicationsto the implementing agency, Forest department.Meanwhile, not to proceed further by uprooting thetrunks of the trees whose branches have been choppedoff. Copies of this letter were endorsed for action tothe Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and toThe District Forest officer. Hyderabad and Rangareddy Districts.

We earlier wrote to the SecunderabadCantonment Board in June 2008 that the trees arepreserved while widening the 8 km road fromMahendra Hills to Military College of Electrical andMechanical Engineering via Military Hospital andanother 5 km stretch from Safiguda railway stationto Secunderabad club via AOC gate. We drew hisattention sections 29(1), 29(2) and 30(1) of WALTA2002 and the Rules, and requested strict andimaginative compliance therewith.

On 24.2.09 Forum wrote a letter to ChiefExecutive, Secunderabad Cantonment Board againstthe felling of trees reported in Deccan Chronicle dated24.2.09

“We refer to a report that you may require toremove over 600 fully grown trees , some of themaround 100 years old. We are encouraged to notethat you are considering the option of transplantationand translocation of these trees as far as possible, andhave provided funds therefor. Such translocationshould be made as near the existing site as possible.

In this connexion, we would like to bring toyour notice that G.O. No 539 dt 11.12.08 (reproduced later) lays down detailed guidelines forprotection of trees, considering all possiblecircumstances. We enclose a copy of the G.O. foryour perusal and request your strict compliancetherewith.

Successful transplantation has taken plantationat Hyderabad at moderate cost. The particulars ofsuch project (s) are attached.

We are sure you will take immediate steps sothat not a single tree is felled along the route, andstrict compliance is ensured with the above-mentioned G.O”. We indicated our availability forany discussion.

III – Results start

On the ground

We have already mentioned earlier how ourintervention at different sites where tree cutting wastaking place led to stoppage of further felling,preservation of stubs of trees already cut, examiningalternatives including realignment of roads,suspension and review of permission for fellingalready received, acceptance of translocation of trees,etc. [ Please also see Minutes of Inspection on removalof trees in radial road nos 3 & 4 dated 25.9.08reproduced later].

At the Policy level

The meeting with the Chief Secretary on 4.7.08and subsequently with the Principal ChiefConservator based on our representations, was theturning point. The Chief Secretary agreed with ourconcern for protecting trees. There was some changeof attitude and concerned departments took the taskof protecting trees by proper advanced planning asalready stipulated under WALTA. We put our mindstogether in devising an implementable strategy.

As per our suggestion and as per the instructionof the Chief Secretary, a meeting was held on 16.7.08under the convenorship of Shri K.D.R. Jayakumar,IFS, Special Secretary (Forests), EFS & T,Government of Andhra Pradesh and attended by S/

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S S.V.Kumar, IFS, Addl Prl Chief Conservator ofForests, BSS Prasad, IFS, Spl Secretary toGovernment ( Environment), P.Rajender Reddy,director, Urban Forestry, HUDA, S/S M.Vedakumarand M.Mandal o/behalf of FBH, Pranay Waghray ,Nallamali Foundation, Ms Farida Tampal, WWF-India, and Roli Srivastava , Times of India. Thismeeting considered a detailed paper submitted bythe Forum containing the Issues and Proposals tosave trees in the context of the rapid and variousdevelopment works in the twin cities and the state.We are not stating the contents of this paper as itsrecommendations were accepted by the stategovernment.

On 17th October, 2008 the Forum submitteda draft guideline for the functioning of the

Committee, pursuant to the Committee’s requestin the meeting on 16.7.08. The draft guidelinessubmitted on 17.10.08 were accepted fully byissuance of G,O, Rt No, 539 of 11.12.09. The StateGovernment thereby constituted a “District LevelTree Protection Committee” with the Additional PrlChief Conservator of Forests (ENV) as Chairman.The Conservator of Forests as Member & Convener,and as members Director, Urban Forestry, HUDA;Divisional Forest Officer, Hyderabad; AddlCommissioner, GHMC ( Dealing with Plantation);Superintending Engineer ( R & B ) R.R. District;Forum For A Better Hyderabad (NGO), World wideFund (NGO), United Federation of Residents’Welfare Association ( UFRWA)(NGO). The relativeG.O. has been reproduced after this article.

A review meeting of tree cutting in radial road nos 3 & 4 was held on 25.9.08

Minutes of Inspection on removal of trees in radial road nos 3 & 4 dated 25.9.08

Officers present: DFO, Hyderabad, DFO, HGCL, EE, radial roads Division, Inspector of Police (Trafic) Cyberabad, FBH, Satish Kumar Reddy, specialist for trees ( Translocator), WWF, COVA, CHATRI

Shri Vedakumar on behalf of the FBH informed all that a high level committee is being constitutedfor according permission to cut trees and which may take 3 to 4 months time. Since these works werealready awarded and in order to proceed with the road works pending constitution of high level committee,the members unanimously decided that

The Trees which are falling within (7.5 + 0.6 = 8.1 m) on either side of the centre line shall beidentified for translocation with DFO, HGCL in consultation with Engineer-in-Charge, and will besubmitted to DFO, Hyderabad for permission to take up translocation of the above trees duly followingthe procedure under the supervision of DFO, HGCL and the balance trees which are not fit for translocationwill be removed.

The trees which are effecting from 8.5 m to 11.6m m shall be retained for the time being till thedecision taken by the appropriate authority.

The HMDA shall plant about 4000 plants of 2 years old on Radial Roads Nos 3 & 4 (seedlings ofMari, Raavi & other native species) withinR.O.W during and before construction of works is completed,so as to compensate the environmental loss due to te cutting of trees.

The DFO, HGCL shall make efforts for translocation of trees which are silviculturally suitableunder his supervision for proper survival.

A list of translocators ( 8) was also made.

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IV - Lessons learnt and Tasks ahead

Our struggle against the felling of trees has beenan uphill task. We had successes as well as set backsbut overall, it was an upward journey. We stated in asituation in which there was little awareness of thelaws for the protection of trees, such as WALTA;and mere indifference to such rules where knowledgeexisted. Government departments were a law untothemselves, private enterprises thought everythingwas manageable with money and / or connections.The plea for time-bound development programmeswas indiscriminately taken whereas the problem layin improper and lack of advanced planning by notmaking tree conservation an integral part ofdevelopmental project planning as needed underWALTA. In this scheme of things, the Forestauthorities had a low position in the hierarchy ofvalues of the government; their authority was freelyignored or violated; the Forest department almostgave up the role for preservation of trees and at thelower level, often there was no proper scrutiny ofapplications for felling. The public, although theyfelt disturbed by tree cuttings, felt helpless to preventand turned into passive onlookers. The contractorsdealing in timber business had a hey day dealing in ascarce and diminishing commodity, i.e., wood.

In this situation, our strategy was to create amovement for preservation of tree cover by spreadingawareness, and involving all stakeholders. Weidentified them and negotiated with each of them.

Secondly, we created awareness of the laws forprotection of trees .

Thirdly, as will be evident from the previousnarration, our solutions were not based on any rigiddogma, but on study of ground realities on the spotsof occurrence, along with all stakeholders. That ishow concensus was built, leading to commitmentto fulfil the agreements. No doubt we were fanaticsto save trees and started with a non-negotiableposition that trees must be conserved, and thisapproach led us to believe that there must be asolution to every problem. We succeeded in makingothers share our vision and solutions were found.

This was a very good learning for managementstudents (an application of Tom Peter’s MBW -Management by walking!)

We are happy to observe that the District LevelTree Protection Committee has started functioningeffectively and concerned persons taken notice of itsauthority and dare not violate its instructions. Theauthority of the Forest department has beenestablished.

A very important achievement was to recognizetranslocation of trees as a workable alternative tocutting of trees. We got the practice accepted byconcerned departments. We gave them also contactswith some successful tree translocators. The treetransplantation has so far been successful.

The translocated trees at ProdutturTransplanted by Mr. Ramdev

Tasks ahead

We have, however, miles to go. Trees are stillbeing cut improperly and going unpunished. Incertain areas, such as Tarnaka, SecunderabadCantonment area, Vijayawada highway, we have notbeen able to effectively check tree cutting. We haveidentified our tasks as follows:

� We need to improve our vigilance. Helplineshave to be established through whichinformation can be transmitted by local persons.The Forest Department has to work for settingup suitable arrangements.

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� The WALTA together with its rules has to bewidely disseminated and strictly enforced.GHMC and HMDA have to enforce the rulesfor providing requisite greenery in newconstructions. As of now, we see thousands ofconstructions coming up without provision forgreenery. How?

� The penalties under WALTA and its Rules needto be deterrent. Penalty rates must be increasedmanifold and there should be provision forcriminal prosecution as well. Even in some partsof India, such as Himachal Pradesh, penaltiesare much more rigorous. In foreign countriestree cutting is a serious offence. ForestDepartment may study these laws and suitablylegislate before it is too late. Hyderabad as agarden city is fast becoming a memory.

� Valuation of trees should not be on the value ofthe wood only. A tree should be valued as a livingunit and not as a dead unit. For example, itsvaluation should cover its contribution to theecosystem, transmission of oxygen, absorptionof carbon dioxide, providing shade, coolingeffect, providing space for birds and insects, etc,etc. Readers are referred to the article In Forum’sAnnual 2007 – 2008, “Why are treesimportant in our life?” By Dr.Kamalnaidu

� Forest Department should take a census of treesin a time bound programme, throughout theState, and to start with, in the major cities.

� Forest Department should map the trees andthe development projects of all types,government, public, and private . This will atonce make apparent the threat to trees bydevelopmental projects and plans can be madefor their protection by changing thedevelopmental projects / translocation of trees/compensatory plantations in proper manner /for building a tree bank in advance. AllDepartments should cooperate and activelyparticipate in this endeavour.

� Plantation of saplings done on a massive scalemust be audited as to the rate of survival beyondthree years and suitable rectificatory action taken.

� The guidelines for compensatory plantationprovided in the GO no 539 dated 11.12.08must be strictly followed. The ForestDepartment in its annual performance reviewmust inform in this regard.

� We need to create awareness among the politicalparties for tree conservation. Not a singlepolitical party has a green manifesto and theyhave no vision in this regard. This is regrettable.Seminars need to be held intensively.

Keystone species

A banyan tree is considered a keystone species and cutting this down is equivalent to cutting down anentire ecosystem. A keystone species is a species that has disproportionate effect on its environment relativeto its abundance. Such species affect many other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine thetypes and numbers of various other species in a community. Such an organism plays a role in its ecosystemthat is analogous to the role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone feels the least pressure of any ofthe stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it. Similarly, an ecosystem may experience a dramaticshift if a keystone species is removed , even though that species was a small part of the ecosystem bymeasures of biomass or productivity. It has become a very popular concept in conservation biology. FaridaTampal, WWF ( 7.5.08)

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Acknowledgements

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the efforts , the initiative, and the hard work done by various

organisations and individuals. We have already mentioned their names earlier in the discourse. Special mention

needs to be made of Times of India, and its Editor, who brought many people together, arranged a series of

brainstorming sessions in their office and at FAPCCI hall, and prominently publicized all news, developments,

etc. This at once brought the issue to the public domain from the confines of a few activists struggling hard,

and led to mass involvement. We specially mention Ms Roli who covered each and every happening with

beautiful clarity. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of the vernacular media.

The Forum should not feel shy of acknowledging its own contribution: the hard, sustained work, and

the organizing skills of its President, M.Vedakumar who brought together diverse interests and opinions on

the sites of occurrence and reached a concensus of view and action strategy. Mr. O. M. Debara, Forum’s

General Secretary, a tireless worker, was present on every site and enthused. We acknowledge the contribution

of the forest department officials, and in particular that of M.J.Akbar, the DFO, his dedication combined

with an imaginative approach. He was always available to us and at any hour of the day and closely consulted

and supported us. We thank the Chief Secretary for beginning the turn-around.

***

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A Representation dt. 24.1.2009 was submitted by FBH to theMember Secretary, APPCB

Sub: Fire Accident in TSDF,Dundigul – Action Needed – Concerns

At the outset we would like to congratulate youon taking charge as the Member Secretary of APPCBand wish you all the best in your endeavors in theposition and also hope that you will reverse the trendof degrading environment in the state due to illegalindustrial pollution.

Coming back to the issue in subject we wouldlike to bring to your notice our concerns on the fireaccident in TSDF, Dundigul on 19th January 2009.Reports indicate that the accident was of a very severenature and the magnitude alarming. There was a realpossibility of innocent lives being lost directly tofire and indirectly to the fumes if containing toxicelements as a result of fire.

We are very much alarmed by the incident andwould like to bring to your notice few issues ofconcern.Is it an Accident in reality?

There are certain reports in News papers whichallege that the “incident” could be a “plannedaccident”. These allegations should not be ruled outwithout a thorough enquiry. If the allegations aretrue then the implications are very serious and needto be enquired thoroughly and if found to be true,the culprits have to be prosecuted and your officeshould do everything within it’s jurisdiction to ensurethat justice is delivered and the guilty are punished.Have all precautions been taken?

An accident of such magnitude could not havehappened without laxity at different levels. As hasbeen found out in various industrial disasters, suchincidents occur only due to cutting of corners bythe establishment to save on money and time. Pleaseinstitute an enquiry by an independent committeecomprising of members from various expertise areasincluding members from civil society organisationswith a mandate to enquire into various aspects ofthe case, more particularly, provisions of - a) Hazardous Wastes (Management and

Handling) Rules, 1989,

b) Guidelines for Storage of Incinerable HazardousWastes by the Operators of Common HazardousWaste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilitiesand Captive HW Incinerators in November2008 and

c) Guidelines for Common Hazardous WasteIncinerators in June 2005"

We strongly suspect that the enquiry will revealsevere shortcomings on part of the managementresponsible for the upkeep of this facility. Theenquiry should look into various aspects likeprovision of adequate storage facility,segregation of wastes, provision of safetyequipment, knowledge of disaster mitigationplan of staff etc. A crucial aspect which merits a detailed

inspection by the above proposed committee is thesequence of actions/steps initiated by themanagement, immediately after the incident. Oneneeds to verify adherence to Disaster ManagementPlan and the involvement of state agencies as per theprovisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005.Way Forward

Keeping in mind the poor track record ofRamky group in managing TSDF, a concerted actionis needed by you to initiate a rigorous and transparentprocess to run this very important establishmentwhich is at the heart of managing hazardous wastesof our state.

We urge you to institute an independentcommittee with experts including those from civilsociety to monitor and review the functioning of thisinstallation which if run improperly is as dangerousas an atomic bomb if not more. Expecting a positiveresponse at the earliest,

Cordially,Umesh Varma.P

Cc: Chief Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

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Ganeshji ko humse kuch kahena hai……

By : Sanghamitra Malik

Ek din darwaze ki ghanti baji jab,Dekhti hoon baahar khadaa hai kaun?Chote se kad ke,gol matol se woh,Chupke se khada tha woh, kaun?‘Andar aa jaaun main kya?’Puchne laga woh mehmaan.‘Aao,padharo,Ganesh maharaj,Badhao mere ghar ki shaan.’Sunane lage woh apni kahaani ek,Is dharti par apne janam ki baat,Kaise dharti ke bacchon ne mitti ikattha kiye,Aur mehenat kiye din raat.Baans aur bhoose pur mitti chadha kur,Aakar diya aadmi ka,Kandhe pur jab hathi ka sir lagaaTub lagaa ek dhakka!Bade bade kaan kyon hain?Saath mein yeh suundh kyon?Samujh na aaya bechaare ko,Thoda sa rone bhi lage woh.Pur,rasayanik rangon se hatkarBacchon ne kiya kamaal,Vanaspati ke rang laaye wohKiya sirf usiika istamaal.

Kahete hain Aayiine mein dekh kar chehera,Khush huye Ganesh Mahaaraj,In rangon ka chamak dekh karIsi ka badhawa karte hain aaj!Mujhse kahene lage, ‘Dekho bahen,Aise hi baans, bhoosa aur mitti se banoon main,Sab se kahene ko kahe woh,Isi tarah banein unki moortiyan.Talaabon ki haal dekh kar,Bade dukhi the Vinayak ji,Vatavaran ka khayal rakhen hum,Yehi shujhao diye Ganeshji.Iske baad unki ek maang thiPuche main kya khila sakti,Chane aur Modak samne rakhi main,Khaye aur prasanna huye bhi!Uth khade,jaane ki baat kahene lage,Nikal chale taalab ki or,Mitti ka badan,Vanaspati ke rang,Ghul mil gaye paani mein chalaang laga kar.Samajhdar bacche banaate inko chote kad ke,Poori bhakti se karte hain puja inki,Bade kad banana inhein napasand hain,Yehi naara aur anurodh hain inki!

Workshop on making of clay Ganesha Idols organised by Hyderabad Dist. Admn. attended by Sri. M. Vedakumar,Smt. Kulsum Reddy and Smt. Sanghamitra Malik

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GANESH IMMERSION

O. M. Debara

The Forum members along with other NGOstook active part in a workshop organized by theAndhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board forimparting training for artisans in manufacturing eco-friendly idols out of clay and colouring them withnatural colours.

Ms. Sanghamitra Malik , the Joint Secretary ofthe Forum organized for artisans to be brought fromKolkata and demonstrate how to manufacture eco-friendly idols and colouring with vegetable dyes atIndira Priyadarshini Auditorium, Public Gardens, on8th. August 2008.

The artisan, Sukumar Pal’s deft hands movedwith artistic vigour as he demonstrated, how aGanesha made of clay can be as good, if not betterthan an ordinary one. School children looked in aweas, Sukumar Pal , made the idol so beautifully, rightin front of a huge gathering of school children,teachers and various officials and guests. SukumarPal said that he has been at it since the last 30 years.

Pal, who had come from Kolkata to showcasethe art at a workshop on eco-friendly Ganeshas,explained how back home, he had been creating idolsof Goddesses Durga and so many other Gods andGoddesses as per the requirement of the festival.

Resembling the human anatomy, he built theidol, over a frame of bamboo and straw,tied tightwith sutli[jute strings] with the final layers of clayapplied in stages. The first layer was made of loosemud to fill crevices and give basic shape. In thefollowing step, the body took on a more finite shape.The arms, feet and head and most importantly,

Ganesha’s trunk, were then painstakingly created bythis top grade artisan. The structure was allowed todry a little and a final coating of clay was given to fillup cracks and fine tune the features.

On completing the clay structure, the figure ispainted first with white earth colour, then pink oryellow.

As this Ganesh idol was not dry enough to applypaint, another idol was brought by the artisan andpainted in front of the large gathering and otherdetailing was done by the chief artist, Sukumar Pal.The idol was then varnished. Hair made of jute wasglued and then the idol was dressed and thenornamented.

Many such idols made from clay and paintedwith natural colours were sold at specific places.

For clay idols, call Jay Prakash at 93463 28366or Sukumar Pal at 99596 33520.

Members went over to schools and educatedstudents and explained about pollution and why itwas necessary to make idols out of clay and paintwith natural colours.

On the day of the immersion, the Forummembers along with volunteers helped the localpublic in maintaining law and order and to ensurethat no sound amplifiers were used on trucks carryingthe idols in order to reduce sound pollution.

A mention must be made here of efforts madeby GHMC in engaging people in removing theremains of the immersed idols at the earliest. Thishelped in reducing the pollution of the lake water.

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Integrated Transport System

A solution to Hyderabad’s Traffic woes ..?By K Vijayaraghavan

Introduction

Any Transportation solution should be designedwith intent to move people from one place toanother. A city which is being developed shouldconsider the Traffic and Transportation managementas inclusive of Urban Planning. There should beadequate percentage of area allotted for designing anefficient transport system considering the futureneeds. Traffic and transportation management shouldbe part of the Urban Development Plan. Publictransport system should be an integral part of theTraffic and Transport solution.

Hyderabad is a typical example of a city whichhas grown multifold over the past few years and yetfailed to consider any of the above as part of UrbanPlanning. There was never a thought regarding thecomprehensive traffic and transport solution. Theresult is the present traffic scenario – ineffective publictransport system, traffic snarls and nightmarish driveon the roads.

Hyderabad’s Public Transport System

When we mull over the Public Transport Sys-tem, we boast of 2 systems in place – the Bus Trans-port system governed by RTC and the Multi ModalTransport System (MMTS) under the control ofthe Railways. But both the systems need augmenta-tion and are ineffective in influencing people toswitch to Public transport system. Hence there is aconsiderable increase in the usage of private trans-port.

Road Transport System

RTC has failed to establish itself as a good pub-lic transport system. Crowded buses, inadequate ser-vices, poor infrastructure / facilities provided to thecommuters are some of the niggling issues faced by

the bus transport system. There have to be amplebus services to accommodate the large populationwho choose this mode of transport. Also adequateinfrastructure and facilities viz. convenient entry andexit points including the provision of ramp for physi-cally challenged persons, proper seating arrangementwith appropriate cushioning, ergonomically designedhandrails etc. have to be provided to augment thissystem. More importantly the buses have to be main-tained such that these facilities, if they already exist,are enduring enough. This mode still does not caterto all corners of the twin cities and more servicesneed to be introduced to different areas so that thereis effective route coverage.

Rail Transport System

As far as MMTS is considered, though the pa-tronage has increased considerably over the years andthis being touted as the best available mode of trans-port in the city, there are some burning issues whichneed to be addressed at the earliest to make this sys-tem effective and bring it on track. The fact thatthis system does not cater to the entire length andbreadth of the city is the biggest drawback. Thishas to be extended to all the possible corners of thecity like Bolarum / Medchal in the North,Patancheru in the West and Ghatkesar in the East,where the rail network is already available and this isonly a matter of electrifying few sections and gettingnew rakes to ply on this route. What is preventingthe authorities to do this is still a mystery and knownonly to them. In order to sustain the fillip that thissystem has gained over the years and to make it moreeffective, issues on frequency and punctuality needto be addressed at the earliest.

In order to introduce more services and to in-crease the frequency, line capacity, which has almostreached the peak now, has to be increased. Else, otheralternatives need to be explored. As a viable alterna-

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tive, GoAP has to mull the option of moving thefreight along the Outer Ring Road and avoidingfreight movement within the city limits. This willgive space for introducing more trains along the routesin these limits and also provide a hindrance freemovement of the MMTS. In fact, Railways hasworked out this proposal and this looks really fea-sible. Though, it may take a few years to implement,this seems like a good option in providing a longterm solution to the transport woes of the city.

Improving the existing Public Transport System

The above two modes have been working in-dependently so far and these two need to work intandem in order to address the traffic problem ofthe twin cities. There is a definite need to integratethese two modes of transport so that a better publictransport system is available for the city. Provisionof interchanges, Single ticketing system, connectiv-ity to different parts are some of the options that canbe thought about in having an effective multi modaltransport system. A person who spends Rs 4 or 5 ina train would not be willing to spend Rs 50 or so forreaching his destination from the transit point. Thisis not the sign of an effective means of multi modaltransport.

Traffic congestion

I have been wondering why we encounter traf-fic snarls everywhere in the city, be it any time, whenthere is a relatively good infrastructure of roads avail-able, compared to other cities. When we study thisin depth, we can figure out the lack of proper plan-ning on the part of the authorities and implementa-tion of traffic discipline. One typical case in point isthe construction of the Begumpet flyover. Here thebottleneck point has been shifted from one locationi.e Greenlands signal to another – near Shoppers Stop.But the problem of congestion has not been solved– only the bottleneck point has been shifted. Thisclearly indicates that there has never been a thoughtprocess gone into the decision making process be-fore implementing. Another ridiculous thing whichis happening is the widening of the existing roads. Iam surprised to see that instead of making efforts to

reduce the no. of vehicles on the road and improv-ing the public transport system, authorities are pav-ing way to increase the land space available for ve-hicles. This is not going to help even a bit in easingthe traffic in the twin cities and it will only attractmore traffic thus ruining the environment. Roadwidening in settled urban areas comes at a very highprice as it often requires felling of trees and also leavesno provision for pedestrian movement

Solution

Do we really have a solution to our woes? Yes,we do to some extent, though the city has grown tosuch an extent that any new transportation systemwill prove to be very costly at this stage.

There has to be a Transport Authority compris-ing of various stakeholders who involve in the trafficand transport solution for the city. The intent shouldbe to develop or modify the road / rail network andharness technology to maximize its capacity and alsoto manage demand for road / rail usage. There has tobe a thought process to provide an attractive publictransport system alternative to the car or bike. Theapproach should be to satisfy the need for greatermobility through an efficient, reliable and integratedpublic transport system. Provision of interchangesand also intermodal connectivity will encouragepeople to shift to the Public Transport System.

Incentives can be offered to encourage the us-age of Public Transport. For e.g. increase in tax ratesfor vehicles and fuel would discourage people fromowning personal vehicles and prompt them to optfor the public transport system. Measures should bedesigned in such a way that people are encouraged towalk and cycle. Instead of working towards a pedes-trian friendly environment, it is surprising to see thatthe existing pavements are being removed in thename of road widening. Encouraging people to optfor public transport system – integrated with mul-tiple modes - would not only reduce the congestionon the roads thereby easing the traffic flow, but alsoconsiderably reduce the fuel consumption and CO

2emission paving the way for a GREENER environ-ment.

***

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ASPECTS OF ROAD SAFETY IN HYDERABAD CITY

Abhishek Richhariya, Scientist-DRDO, Hyderabad

Hyderabad is one of the most important citiesof our country. In recent times, it has grownphenomenally and represents a cosmopolitan culture.People from different parts of the country are makingit their home, thanks to the IT boom and real estatedevelopment.

Like in any big city, the roads are its lifeline. Inmodern life, roads are integral part of our existence.Conditions of roads and related infrastructure have adirect bearing on the quality of life of the residentsof the city. A small accident on road can change thelife of a whole family forever. Therefore, theconditions of roads in urban areas have to bemaintained sensitively by the authorities.

The authorities also have a tough timemaintaining roads in urban areas as roads are almostalways under heavy traffic. The problem iscompounded when the drainage line passes throughthe middle of the road. Also, road planning for urbanhabitat needs to consider some practical aspects toprevent accidents. The following points may help inplanning and maintenance of roads in urban areas:

1. As the city is growing from its olderinfrastructure, it s found that at many places,the old narrow roads are suddenly opening intobig new roads. This may lead to accidents as thejunction may be blind and road users comingfrom smaller lanes may collide with vehiclesmoving on bigger roads. In such cases, speedbreaker should be placed near the junction andalso a signboard saying “caution, speedy roadahead, drive slowly”, should be placed for theuser of the smaller road.

2. Whenever any maintenance is done on the road(either by road department or by any otherdepartment), care must be taken to ensure that

proper glow signs are placed near the place ofmaintenance so that no road user gets anaccident during nighttime. When people do notanticipate any obstruction on clear road, theytend to drive faster and the obstructions createdby maintenance may prove hazardous for them.

3. Maintenance of bigger and smoother roads mustbe done more carefully since average speed ofvehicles on such roads is higher and accident mayprove fatal. Glow signs must be placed muchahead of the site of maintenance. Stones shouldnot be used for protecting the site ofmaintenance.

4. If stones are used for safeguarding the area ofmaintenance then these should not be of bigsize. Smaller, easily crushable stones should beused, so that even if someone collides with them,he/she is not hurt. Also, stones should be keptsparsely and away from the sight ofmaintenance.

5. The road dividers should be completely paintedwhite and the starting point of road dividersshould have self-lit glow signs or reflector lights.On a normally lit street, the need of these glowsigns may not be felt, but the same place mayprove fatal if the streetlights break down.Therefore, the policy should be to have self-litglow signs on road dividers irrespective of thefact that the street is having proper streetlights.

6. The busy junctions should prominently displayroad safety tips since people have time to readthem while waiting for green signal.

7. A database should be created for the city inwhich every major and minor accident shouldbe recorded with relevant details, like, place of

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accident, time of accident, types of vehiclesinvolved, casualty, probable cause of accident,conditions of drivers, conditions of vehicles etc.Over few years, this database will show hotspotson city maps and corrective actions can be takenaccordingly. It should be kept in mind thatminor accidents are more vital to monitor, sincethey are indications of bigger troubles ahead.

8. Any lorries entering in city limits must be fittedwith reflectors. The lorry drivers are known to

park their vehicles at unexpected places andnightriders may collide with stationary lorries.

9. Helmet rule must be imposed strictly. “Nohelmet, no two-wheeler driving” should beenforced.

These suggestions will be useful for average roaduser in the city of Hyderabad and will help in bringingdown physical and financial loss due to roadaccidents.

A REPRESENTATION DT. 24.2.2009 WAS SUBMITTED BYFBH TO THE COMMISSIONER & SPL.OFFICER, GHMC

Sub: Master Plan for erstwhile MCH area.

***

We understand that you have taken up the preparation of a Master Plan covering the area of theerstwhile MCH, that you have engaged the services of IIT, Kharagpur for drawing the plan and work ofpreparation of a plan is in an advanced stage. We consider that the concerned civil society groups should beinformed and closely involved in the process of planning so that there is democratic participation in theprocess of planning and the inputs and concerns of various stakeholders and affected parties are duly factoredinto the plan. We are sure you will agree with this approach. We await your advices in the matter.

M.VEDAKUMAR

C.C to:

1. Dr.C.V.S.K.Sharma, IAS., Principal Secretary to Govt., MA & UD , Secretariat, Hyd.

2. Dr.K.S.Jawahar reddy, IAS., Commissioner, HMDA, Greenlands Guest House, Begumpet, Hyd.

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Based on a report published in Hindu of 17th Feb, 2009,a Representation dt. 19.3.2009 was submitted by FBH to the Member Secretary, APPCB

Sub: Patancheruvu Pollution. Bhopal – in the making in Hyderabad?

***

We enclose a news item published in the Hindu of 17th Feb, 2009, the contents of which are selfexplanatory. We shall appreciate if you can let us know what steps have been taken or proposed to be takento stop the possible ecological disaster in Hyderabad.

M.VEDAKUMAR

***

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CASES FILED IN THE COURT DURING THE YEAR 2008 – 09AND PENDING CASES

Omim Maneckshaw Debara

The following cases were filed during the year

2008-2009 on behalf of the Forum for A Better

Hyderabad or by members of the Forum in

individual capacity.

I. W.P.NO.6725/2009

The above writ petition was filed by Forum

For A Better Hyderabad, challenging the action of

the state government in diverting an extent of

Ac.4067 forest land situated in Imarath Kancha

village, Maheshwaram Mandal, Ranga Reddy District

and further an extent of Ac.2400-36 guntas situated

in Mamidipally village, Saroornagar Mandal Ranga

Reddy District to non-forest purposes without

obtaining the prior permission of the central

government under the provisions of Forest

(Conservation) Act 1980 as arbitrary and illegal.

Court ordered notice to the government and forest

department and the same is pending for adjudication.

II. W.P.No.4702/2009

The above writ petition was filed challenging the

action of the government in allotting 43 acres of land

to Public Health Foundation of India near

Rajendranagar @ Rs.1 Lakh per acre as against market

value of Rs.1.5 crore per acre recommended by District

Collector, Ranga reddy District. The Hon’ble Court

granted status quo order in the matter. The value of

the subject property is Rs.65 crores.

What value did the Collector recommend – Rs

1 lakh or Rs 1.5 crore per acre? What is meant by

‘status quo order’? Did te Court uphold govt’s action?

III. W.P. No.3258/2008

The above writ petition was filed by

Mr.O.M.Debara, challenging the action of the

GHMC demanding an amount of Rs.46,000/- for

providing sanction plan of Big Bazar at Ameerpet,

Hyderabad under RTI Act. The writ petition was

admitted and Hon’ble Court directed the GHMC

to provide the copies of the plans by collecting Xerox

charges. The writ petition is pending for

adjudication.

IV. C.C.476/2008

The above Contempt case was filed by

Mr.O.M.Debara, against Principal Secretary,

Revenue in allotting 275 acres of land at Rangareddy

district to the Housing Societies of MLAs, MPs,

Hon’ble High Court Judges, All India Service

Officers and Journalists contrary to the judgment of

the Hon’ble High Court in W.P.NO.13730 of 2006.

Notice was ordered to the Revenue Secretary and the

same is pending.

V. W.P. No.18483/2008

The writ petition was filed challenging the

notification of the MOEF which denies the right

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of the citizens to partipicate in public hearings whenthe METRO Rail Project is taken up. FormerSecretary Ramachandriah and present Secretary OMDebara filed this writ petition. Even before the casewas taken up for hearing, the alignment was changedto avoid Husain Sagar, water body. There was anorder that all the further actions are subject to furtherorders in the main case. The case is pending .

VI. WP No 18896 / 2007

When the State Government sought to amendthe GO 111 Forum filed this case. Stay of finalnotification was granted. The case is pending.

VII. WP No 9386 of 2007

Jeevananda Reddy, former Secretary of Forumfor Sustainable Development filed this case. He hadcomplained of violations of GO 111. The ChiefSecretary was asked to file report. The governmentconceded that there are violations but sought timeto initiate action. The case is pending.

VIII. WP NO 8578 of 2008

The Building Penalisation Scheme waschallenged. The Forum filed this case along with

Praja Spandana of Vishakhapatnam . We tookspecific stand against regularisation of commercialstructures and high rise buildings. The arguments areover and the judgment is awaited.

IX. WP No 24623 of 2009

In the name of Golf course the Golconda Fortis being ravaged. Forum along with PUCAR filedthis case. Interim order was passed restraining theofficers from taking up any construction activity and any other works which will change original contours.

Besides the above cases, several applications werefiled under the Right To Information Act 2005 beforevarious authorities and information on violation ofbuilding laws, sale and allotment of lands and leaseof lands, etc., was obtained. In some cases appealsare pending before State Information Commission.

The proposal to give Ac.5-00 acres of landbesides I-Max at Necklace Road for amusement parkwas cancelled due to RTI application by Mr.Debara

***

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Heritage-Golconda Fort:

Hyderabad office of the ASI was a helpless spectator.

Activists under the aegis of People’s Union for CivicAction and Rights (PUCAAR) and FBH lodgedcomplaints with Golconda Police Station, maderepresentations to ASI, Hyderabad, StateGovernment and arranged Press Meet on 6th Nov,2008 under Hathiyan-ka-Jaad at Nayaquilla near thesite of illegal construction activities. The leadingnewspapers – English, Telugu, Urdu- gave widecoverage. Finally, as there was no redress, a PIL wasfiled by Civil Society Groups including FBH. inA.P.High Court . On 2nd Dec, 2008 the High courtgave clear instructions that the HGA will repair and

Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) without anyformal MOU between the State Government andthe Archaeological Society of India (ASI) ,as requiredby the later, had been going ahead with constructionof 50 acres Golf Course adjacent to “Naya Quila”recognized as a part of the historic Golconda Fort, aprotected monument under the Ancient andHistorical Monuments and Archaeological Sites andRemains Act, 1951. HGA had undertaken massivefilling up and earth work around the walls of NayaQuila; a part of the Moat was filled up afterdismantling the wall, two old mosques are underthreat and about 59 families with agricultural landin the area have refused to part with their land. The

Full fledged work is being carried on at the site

FORUMFOR A BETTER

HYDERABADNine years of Activism & Service

Complied by r: R.K.Sinha

Handing our a compliant to the cops at the site Dr. M.Mandal, Mohd. Afzal and Mr. Masood are present

ACTIVITIES : NOVEMBER - DECEMBER, 2008

NEWS LETTER: 1 NOV-DEC-2008 (Private Circulation only)

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bring back to original shape to the demolished/filledup Moat. The next hearing would be on 20th Jan,2009

The High Court had also made a general observationthat no activity is to be taken up within 300 metresfrom the walls of Naya Quila until disposal of thePIL. On 3rd Dec, 2008, FBH have submitted adetailed representation to the Director General, ASI,New Delhi pointing out various unlawful activitiesof HGA and also the anomalies/loopholes in theclauses of the draft MOU submitted by HGA.

Heritage:

Centre for Deccan Studies jointly with FBH hadorganized a Seminar on 7th Nov, 2008 as a part ofHistory of the City’s 100 years after the historic floodin the Musi river. Dr.Omar Khalidi had made apresentation on “The Architectural Heritage ofHyderabad”. A project has been undertaken on theoccasion to review the city’s developments andproblems in some critical areas.

World Heritage Week :

Department of State Archaeology has organised the

Press Meet addressed by Sri.M.Vedakumar President,ForumMohd.Afzal, Dr.M.Mandal, Sri.R.K.Sinha, Mohd. Turaband farmers who own the land in Nayaquilla are present

Sri. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, MD, APTDC is addressing on theoccation of world haritage week day.

World Heritage Week Celebrations-2008 at StateArchaeological Museum, Public Gardens. on 19thNov, 2008. Smt.D.Laxmi Parathasarathi, IAS.,Principal Secretary, Tourism,Govt.of A.P., Sri.JayeshRanjan, MD, APTDCC, Dr. Channa Reddy,Director AP State Archaeology & Museums werepresent. Mr. M.Vedakumar had attended as a Guestand presented a PPT on heritage buildings.

Mr.M.Vedakumar attended the Second BiennialConference of Indian Heritage Cities Network heldin Hyderabad on 18th – 20th December, 2008, organised by UNESCO, New Delhi andGovernment of A.P.,

INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art andCultural Heritage) Hyderabad Chapter:

INTACH Monthly Meeting on 15.11.2008 andGeneral Body Meeting on 12.12.2008 were attendedby Mr.M.Vedakumar and Dr.M.Mandal.

G.O.111, Dt. 8.3.96:

Dr.S.Jeevananda Reddy, a noted environmentalistand Secretary of Forum for a SustainableDevelopment had filed a PIL in A.P. High Courtpraying for strict implementation of the existing

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Government Order regarding Osmansagar andHimayathsagar lakes. FBH also had earlier filed aWP in the High court. Dr.Reddy received a lifethreatening letter on 5th Nov, 2008 from unknownpersons asking him to withdraw the PIL. FBH alongwith other Civil Society Organisations (COVA,CHATRI, CFPAH, AV, MAUP, PUCAAR, U-FERWAS, FAPSCO, IFHD, HSH, IAAB, APSA,NAPM, GAMANA, R2WF, HH) have sentrepresentation dt. 10.11.2008 to the Chief Ministerwith copies to the Home Minister, the ChiefSecretary, the DGP, the Commissioner of Police.

District Level Tree Protection Committee:

The Forum’s representations to the StateGovernment in the context of unplanned tree cuttingand the need to save trees in the Twin Cities andRangareddy district have been accepted. The

from Forest Department, HUDA, DFO Hyderabad,GHMC, R&B and NGOs like FBH, WWF andU-FERWAS. Addl.Chief Conservator of Forests(ENV) will be the Chairman. Functions of theCommittee and the guidelines have also beenindicated, in which the suggestions of the FBH havebeen incorporated.

Tree Cutting/Tree Plantation :

• FBH have written to Annapurna Studios on 8th

Dec, 2008 seeking information on whether theyplan to have a new entertainment complex in itspremises, for which many trees in a forest knownas “Seven Acres” , in Village Shaikpet, GolcondaMandal , are to be cut down. FBH have alsowritten to DFO ( Hyderabad ) and GHMC on5.12.2008 with request to enquire into theposition and withhold permission/not to grantpermission for cutting the trees, till the matteris fully examined.

• Mr.M.Vedakumar, Dr.M.Mandal along withother Civil Society Groups, Dr.Rao V.B.JChelikani, Engineers Radial Road, DFO andofficials from Forest Department visited the treecutting sites on proposed Radial Ring Road,accompanied by site Engineers, on 24.12.2008. The team had observed tree translocation processwhich was attended meticulously by theconcerned department. The team had alsovisited Proddutur, the place where the trees beingshifted from Radial Roads and have been aretranslocated.

• FBH along with Federation of ResidentialWelfare Associations (FRWA) had taken upwith GHMC for providing tree guards toassociated NGOs to facilitate tree plantation in

Civil Society Groups and officials from Forest Departmentand Field Engineers at the translocation site at Proddutur

(R.R.Dist)

Government through the Department ofEnvironment, Forest , Science & Technology(FOR.III) have issued G.O.Rt.No.539 dt.11.12.2008 have formed the Committee forHyderabad and Ranga Reddy Districts with members

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various slums/localities. 1000 tree guards havebeen allocated in the first instance. Dr.Rao V.B.JChelikani has taken up with GHMC for properco-ordination between Horticulture officers andResident Welfare Associations in the matter oftree plantation programmes of GHMC.

Environment:

The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) andHMDA jointly organized a programme in Dr.MarriChenna Reddy Institute, Hyderabad on 10th

December, 2008 on the subject of EnvironmentalBuilding Regulations & Guidelines. Mr.M.Vedakumar had attended on behalf of FBH.

Public Transport:

FBH members attended a meeting on 23rd Nov,2008 convened by Citizens for a Better PublicTransport in Hyderabad CBPTH) to plan further

The site at Proddutur, where the trees are translocated

campaigns against Metro Rail Project in view ofimportant clauses of the Concession Agreementbetween State Government and the consortia ofcompanies being against the long-term interests ofthe citizens and state.

CBPTH had also arranged a silent protest in frontof Metro Rail Bhavan on 26th December, 2008. FBHmembers along with other NGOs had participated.A signature campaign “Scrap Metro-MAYTASAgreement-Save Hyderabad” was also started.

Solid Waste Management:

As suggested by FBH, Addl.Commissioner, GHMChad visited Umanagar (Begumpet) area and helddiscussions with Residents Welfare Association onsteps to be taken to make the area free of garbagebins. Based on the results, the scheme will be extendedto many such areas.

Silent protest to scrap Metro Rail

Edited, printed and published by M.Vedakumar, President, Forum For A Better Hyderabad,3-6-712/2, Street No. 11, Himayathnagar, Hyderabad-500 029

Tel.No. 040-27636214 ; Fax: 0-40-27635644 E-mail: betterhyd@yahoo.co.in Website: www.hyderabadgreens.org

Mr. President, Respected Chief Guest SriJ.M.Lyngdoh, I.A.S.; Dr. K.S.Jawahar Reddy, I.A.S.;Smt. C.S.Ramalakshmi, I.F.S.; Sri. K.MadhusudanRao, I.A.S.; Prof. Sheela Prasad, members of theForum, ladies & gentlemen .

It gives me great pleasure to present you a reportof the Forum’s activities during the year 2008 – 2009.

During the year, the various Committees of theForum For A Better Hyderabad remained active. Theactivities of these committees have been reported inthe Annual 2008-09. Hence I shall mention only afew highlights and the broad trend.

G.O.111: When the State Government soughtto amend the G.O. 111 the Forum and other NGO’sfiled a case in the A.P. High Court. Stay of finalnotification was granted by the court.

Right to Information Act:

The Forum had sought for information underRTI act from various government departments andagencies. Where information sought for was notreceived, the Forum had filed appeal with the StateCommission.

In two cases where the Forum was unhappywith the decision of the State Commissioner, itmoved the A.P. High Court.

Master Plan: The Forum has written a letterto GHMC on the Master Plan for the erstwhileMCH area. Details are mentioned in the annualnumber.

Compulsory Disclosure Scheme (CDS): TheForum was critical of the Government’sannouncement of a new Compulsory DisclosureScheme and filed a PIL with the A.P. High Court.

FORUM FOR A BETTER HYDERABADGeneral Secretary’s Report for 2008 – 09.

By

Omim Manekshaw Debara.

Date: 5.06.2009.Place: Hyderabad.

The arguments in the case are over and it has beenreserved for judgment.

Heritage Conservation: As the proposedMetro Rail Project was likely to damage manyheritage structures , the Forum undertook the taskof marking out on the proposed Metro rail map allthe heritage structures that would be affected.

The Principal’s Building in Old Gandhi MedicalCollege has been restored under the supervision ofState Archaeology department. As regards therestoration work of Lady Hydri Club , the Forumis following up with the State Archaeologydepartment.

So far concerned authorities have not taken upthe restoration work of Moula-ali-kaman and “G –Block” in the Secretariat. Reminders to the ChiefSecretary, the Chairman, HCC, the Comissioner ,HMDA and the Convenor, INTACH has notyielded any results. A meeting was called for by theChief Secretary in this regard but till date norestoration work has started. And the building isallowed to be dilapidated .

The Forum and Centre for Deccan Studies (CDS ) conducted a month long programme tocommemorate the floods in Hyderabad 100 yearsago. The programme concluded on 28th September,2008 , under the famous Tamarind Tree that hadsaved over a hundred lives during the floods, in thepremises of Osmania General Hospital.

The Forum has sought the cancellation of thegolf course project within the Naya qila area of theGolconda Fort inside the Fort wall. It has filed a PILin the A.P High Court and the High Court hasordered stoppage of further work. An article on thesubject appears in our Annual.

Conservation of Trees: After a 200 year oldtree was cut in front of the Paigah Palace which housesthe US Consulate office, there was a public outcry.Media also raised the issue of indiscriminate fellingof trees. The Forum along with likeminded NGOstook up the matter with the Government and otherinterested parties . As a result of persistent pressureand sustained negotiations with all interested partiesand experts,

the government has appointed a District LevelTree Protection Committee for Hyderabad & RangaReddy Districts , comprising officials of differentdepartments and representative of The Forum for aBetter Hyderabad, World Wildlife Fund &UFERWAS.

About 260 trees from different radial roads havebeen transplanted.

An article on the struggle for tree conservation,achievements and tasks ahead appears in the Annual.

Metro Rail - WP NO 18483 of 2008

A writ petition was filed challenging thenotification of the MOEF which denies the rightof the citizens to partipcate in public hearings whenthe METRO Rail Project is taken up. FormerSecretary Ramachandriah and present Secretary OMDebara filed this writ petitoin. Even before the casewas taken up for hearing, the alignment was changedto avoid HusainSagar water body. There was an orderthat all the further actions are subject to further ordersin the main case. The case is pending

Ganesh Immersion: The Forum membersalong with other NGOs took active part in aworkshop organized by the Andhra Pradesh PollutionControl Board for imparting training for artisans inmanufacturing eco- friendly idols out of clay andcolouring them with natural colours. M/s.Sanghamitra Malik , Joint Secretary of the Forum ,organized for artisans to be brought from Kolkata ,to demonstrate to the local artisans how tomanufacture eco-friendly idols and colour withvegetable dyes. Members went over to schools andeducated students and explained about pollution and

why it was necessary to make idols out of clay andpaint with natural colours

Plastic Bags / Tea cups: The members of theForum have been conducting awareness programmein their respective localities by visiting grocery shops/ chemists’ shops, / restaurants /vegetable sellers toenlighten them about the environmentally hazardouseffect of using plastic bags. They also gavepresentations at Housing Societies’ meetings. Theyalso circulated a copy of GO 25 dated 30-3-2001,restricting the manufacture and use of plastic bags.In spite of this the use of plastic bags / tea cups etc.are on the increase.

To set an example to others, the member havedecided not to use plastic bags and not to accept tea/ water served in plastic cups any more.

It is high time we set an example to all. Withimmediate effect let us all SAY NO TO PLASTICS.

1. Let us not accept water or tea served in plasticcups & glasses

2. Carry our own cloth bags when we go ourshopping and not accept plastic bags.

3. Let us educate our friends in the abovematter.

Residents’ Welfare Association:

United Federation of Resident WelfareAssociations (UFERWAS): The President ofUFERWAS is an active committee member of theForum. UFERWAS collaborates with the Aasaraprogrammme of GHMC, which attends to thewelfare of the senior citizens and UFERWASmobilises the senior citizens to participate in variouscivic activities of the city. It collaborates with theefforts of FBH in the implementation of the WALTAAct, and is a member of a District Level TreeProtection Committee for the districts of Hyderabadand Rangareddy.

UFERWAS has set up a Committee at theGHMC level, consisting of GHMC officials andUFERWS, which supervises the cooperationbetween the resident welfare associations and theGHMC officials. A Memo is issued by GHMC

which arranges regular “ dialogue Sessions” every 45days at the Dy.Commissioner’s level, every twomonths at the Zonal Commissioner’s level and everysix months at the Commissioner’s level.

5. UFERWAS is trying to see that the RWAhave a role to play in the peoples’ ward committeesand the Area Sabhas that are going to be formed inall the Corporations and Municipalities in AndhraPradesh.

The Right to Walk Foundation ( R2W ):

R2W registered on June 26, 2008 is activelyassociated with the Forum. It campaigns forPedestrian Safety.

On June 26, 2008, the R2W had an intensivedialogue with TERI. This was organised by theForum.

R2W organized many public interfaces throughmeetings , walks, etc. A few are: A rally onManikonda road, Gachibowli. The IIIT studentsjoined the rally and it created awareness amongst theyouth ( June 2008). An interaction with the firstyear students of the prestigious law school, NALSAR( sept 2008).

A 20K Signature Campaign, after several roundsof meeting with many other NGOs and individuals( October 2008).R2W will document it and presentto the Authorities ( Oct 2008).

Walk from Vidyaranya School to the GoetheZentrum, a distance of about one kilometre. Theparticipants were divided into 5 sub groups with eachsub group having a different topic. Various authoritieswere at the interaction with The group went on tostate that ‘It was more a trek than a Walk’.

R2W conducted with the Goethe Zentrum aTransport Seminar. All the experts felt walking needsto be taken as a top priority and only then can publictransport be encouraged. Many cities have Car FreeDays that can happen only if Public transport isimproved. ( feb 2009)

A ‘Health Walk’ initiated by the MedwinHospitals( March 22, 2009)

Let’s Vote Campaign. ( April , 2009)

The Urban Planning dept of JNAFA hadorganised a colloquium on “ Walkability inHyderabad “.

Ms. Kanthimathi Kannan , President of R2Wattended a conference on Clean Air Initiative(Promoted by the Asian Development Bank) inBangkok . Her presentation ‘The Right to Walk- AHyderabad Perspective), was well received and R2Wgot the Extra Mile Award.

The R2W has a website and a connected blog.It has been listing several benefits of access paths andyet the question that remains is ‘Why are Footpathsnot Walkable and Pedestrian Crossings not available”

The Answer Simply Lies in The FactThat Those Who Walk Cannot Decide and ThoseWho Decide Do Not Walk.

News Letter: The Forum has started publishinga News Letter Bi-monthly

WEBSITE: The Forum’s websitewww.hyderabadgreens.org contains informationabout the Forum’s activities and other topics ofinterest. The website is updated twice in a month.All interested persons are requested to send articles,information, to the Forum’s E-mail address:betterhyd@yahoo.co.in

I take this opportunity of thanking the TV &Print Media who have always come forward topublish our views and activities.

Our thanks to Mr. Srinivas Murty and Mr.G. Mohan Rao Advocates who have spared theirvaluable time as and when the Forum membersapproached for advice and taking up our cases in thecourt.

I thank all who have been giving a helpinghand for the smooth running of the Forum.

Lastly I thank all present for sparing their valuabletime and coming over for this function.

JAI HIND

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