HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to entrust the responsibility of maintaining greenery as well as planting and protecting saplings in vacant spaces and road margins to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and a few to non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
As part of this plan, the civic body has divided 3,000 colonies into 303 clusters, which will now be under the care of SHGs and NGOs for a period of one year. These groups will also plant saplings, provided by the GHMC, at educational institutions, community halls and hospitals
While there are around 4,846 colonies in the city, 3,000 colonies will be covered in the first phase.
Speaking to Express, a GHMC official said: “The primary idea is to saturate these colonies with greenery. Each cluster comprises eight to 12 colonies. The zone-wise clusters include LB Nagar (51 colonies), Charminar (50), Khairatabad (51), Serilingampally (51), Kukatpally (48) and Secunderabad (52).”
The GHMC’s Urban Biodiversity Wing has imparted training to the SHGs and will also provide required technical support to them.“The role of SHGs is to maintain these plants and water them at regular intervals based on the seasons. During summer, watering should be done five to six times in a month, in winter, three to four times in a month and in the rainy season, once or twice in a month. The civic body would keep a watch and check maintenance of these colonies at regular intervals,” the official added.
Meanwhile, a source said that Rs 30 lakh budget has been earmarked for each cluster, out of which 30-35 per cent allocation will go towards watering and remaining amount is shared by the SHG members. A total of Rs 90 crore will be spent annually on maintenance of greenery in these 3,000 colonies.The remaining 1,800 colonies will be covered in the second phase which will be implemented in 2023.
Total budget of Rs 90 crore
A source said that a Rs 30 lakh budget has been earmarked for each cluster, out of which 30-35 per cent allocation will go towards watering and remaining amount is shared by the SHG members. A total of Rs 90 crore will be spent annually on maintenance of greenery in these 3,000 colonies