HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has prepared a draft plan for delimitation of the existing 150 wards into 200.
The town planning wing, through zonal commissioners and deputy municipal commissioners of all circles, has finalised demarcation of boundaries on the basis of the 2011 Census and prepared draft proposals. As per the 2011 Census, population in Greater Hyderabad is about 67,31,790. The GHMC, on the basis of circle-wise population, has earmarked 29 wards for the East Zone, 51 for South Zone, 56 for Central Zone, 28 for West Zone and 36 for North Zone.
East Zone covers three circles - circle-1 (7 wards), circle-2 (5 wards) and circle-3 (17 wards). South Zone covers three circles - circle-4 (29 wards), circle-5 (15 wards) and circle-6 (7 wards). Central Zone covers four circles - circle-7 (20 wards), circle-8 (3 wards), circle-9 (15 wards) and circle-10 (18 wards). West Zone covers four circles - circle-11 (4 wards), circle-12 (5 wards), circle-13 (5 wards) and circle-14 (15 wards). North Zone covers four circles - circle-15 (11 wards), circle-16 (5 wards), circle-17 (8 wards) and circle-18 (12 wards).
GHMC officials told Express that the biggest loser in the delimitation exercise is circle-9, where the number of wards is going to be down by one. Previously, circle-9 (LB Nagar) had 16 wards. When it comes circle-8 (Abids, Koti), there would be no increase or decrease in ward strength.
However, there is going to be a quantum leap of wards in circles 3 and 14 (Kukatpally). The number of wards in these circles will be increased to 15 from the existing 8. In circles 4, 7 and 15, the wards are going to be increased by four each.
The officials said the corporation has been divided into wards by taking into account natural boundaries, geographical features and contiguity of the area. Wherever natural boundaries could not be adopted, survey numbers, important junctions or lanes are being considered as far as possible. The variation in population in each ward would not exceed 10 percent of the average population.
The GHMC took up the process after the Telangana Government amended the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations (fixation of strength of elected members) Rules 2005 and fixed the strength of elected ward members at 200.