HYDERABAD: A new green city is set to take shape across about 1,32,600 acres covered by GO 111, with projects proposed to have 40% built-up area and the remaining 60% reserved for greenery, roads and open spaces.
Restrictions covering 84 villages are proposed to be eased, but permissions in the first phase are expected to be limited to six to eight villages inside the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Priority will be given to sites that do not obstruct rainwater flows.
Projects will have low population density and incorporate sewage treatment plants and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems, according to recommendations made to the state government by a high-level expert committee.
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GO 111 covers 84 villages around twin reservoirs
The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government issued GO 111 in 1996 to prevent pollution and restrict major construction and industries in the catchment area within a 10-km radius of the reservoirs.
The order covers 84 villages spread across mandals including Shamshabad, Rajendranagar, Chevella, Shabad and Moinabad in Rangareddy district, encompassing about 1,32,600 acres. Contemporary accounts also identify these mandals among those covered by the order.
The proposed green city will come up in the GO 111 area surrounding Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, the twin reservoirs that have supplied drinking water to Hyderabad.
The high-level expert committee appointed by the government to study the relaxation of restrictions in the 84 villages has submitted a comprehensive report after examining the issue.
Until now, construction was permitted on only 10% of the total area covered by GO 111. The expert committee is learnt to have recommended allowing construction on an additional 30%.
If accepted, the recommendations would allow projects with a maximum 40% built-up area, while 60% would be retained for greenery, roads and open spaces.
Committee proposes special zoning master plan
The committee noted that Hyderabad now receives substantial drinking water supplies from the Krishna and Godavari rivers compared with the past. As a result, the city's dependence on Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar for drinking water has declined considerably.
After examining environmental studies and ground-level conditions, the committee made several recommendations.
Instead of relaxing restrictions across all 84 villages at once, it recommended beginning with six to eight villages located inside the Outer Ring Road.