‘Mega Hyderabad’ will fuel rapid growth: Experts

Hyderabad: The merger of 27 urban local bodies (ULBs) into the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will significantly enhance and expand Hyderabad’s core urban area, fueling development, say experts. They indicated that the smaller villages and undeveloped regions within these municipalities and corporations will experience a surge in development and may see the urban infrastructure.

In a move to expand the area that falls under the Hyderabad municipal administration, the Telangana Cabinet on Tuesday decided to merge all the municipalities and corporations within the Hyderabad- Telangana Core Urban Area with GHMC. The merger is expected to increase the area of GHMC to nearly 2,000 sq km, compared to the current area of about 650 sq km.

According to the experts, this merger is likely to turn Hyderabad into one of the largest and biggest urban bodies in the country. “The regions suggested for merging with the GHMC, such as Manikonda, Narsingi, Turkhyamjal, Adibatla, Thukkuguda, Medchal, Bandlaguda Jagir, Nizampet among others are already a most prominent areas in the state, featuring top-notch infrastructure.

This merger is poised to create one of the largest urban bodies in the country, thereby accelerating development in the urban area,” said Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail, an expert on urban affairs, realtor and developer.

He pointed out that certain municipalities possess some of the most expensive land in the city, characterized by high-rise buildings. Yet, within these areas, there exist numerous small villages and untouched regions that lack basic amenities and significant development. “With the merger, it is anticipated that these neglected areas and villages will experience regulated urban development, along with planned expansion and improved infrastructure. However, success will depend on how effectively the newly incorporated areas are developed. There is a need for zone-wise planning, and prioritized investment in roads, drainage systems, sewage, waste management, and utilities to ensure that it truly strengthens Hyderabad’s position as a leading world-class city,” said Asif Hussain.

Meanwhile, another expert, K Indra Sena Reddy, President, Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (Credai), Telangana said that Hyderabad is growing rapidly, and the integration of peripheral municipalities and corporations offers a major opportunity to bring uniform standards of infrastructure, efficient service delivery, and coordinated planning across the entire metropolitan belt up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR).

Highlighting the development of these regions, Indra Sena Reddy said, “Local development funds should stay local - ensuring better roads, drainage, street lighting, parks, water connectivity, safety, and livability for the people contributing these revenues.”

He further said: “We strongly urge the Government to ensure that a major portion of the building fees, development charges, and property-tax collections from each merged area are reinvested back into the same localities.