HYDERABAD: To reduce urban heat islands in towns and cities across the State, the Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) has set a target of achieving a cool roof area of 287.9 lakh sq. ft. for all 129 municipalities and 12 municipal corporations, covering 3,468 municipal wards (2.675 sq. km) by 2023-24, except for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
For issuance of an Occupancy Certificate (OC), compliance with the Telangana Cool Roof Policy 2023-2028 is mandatory for all non-residential and residential buildings in plots of 500 sq. mt or 600 sq. yards and above, as per TS-bPASS.
Municipal Commissioners of all the urban local bodies (ULBs) have been instructed on a target-based approach to ensure compliance with the Telangana Cool Roof Policy 2023-2028 by building applicants. They will thoroughly verify the conditions before issuing the OC.
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department issued orders on Saturday to all Municipal Commissioners of ULBs (except GHMC), Director of Town and Country Planning, and District Collectors/Additional Collectors of Local Bodies (except GHMC and Mulugu) to achieve the targets by taking necessary actions.
The current financial year’s targets fixed by the State government for ULBs in districts are: Hanamkonda (33.80 lakh sq.ft), Rangareddy (22.70 lakh sq.ft), Warangal (20 lakh sq.ft), Medchal-Malkajgiri (16.80 lakh sq.ft), Karimnagar (16 lakh sq.ft), Khammam (14.80 lakh sq.ft), Nalgonda (14.70 lakh sq.ft), and Sangareddy (13.40 lakh sq.ft).
Municipal Corporations have been assigned targets, with the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation’s target being 32.90 lakh sq.ft, followed by Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (11.80 lakh sq.ft) and Khammam Municipal Corporation (11.40 lakh sq.ft).
Telangana government’s decision to adopt cool roofs is due to its geographic location on the Deccan Plateau, making it vulnerable to heat waves. The State’s rapid urbanisation and high growth trajectory have also increased the demand for cooling. With 47 per cent of its population already urbanised, Telangana is the third-most urbanised State in India and is expected to exceed 50 per cent soon.
MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao recently launched the Telangana Cool Roof Policy, directing a target-based approach for its effective implementation in all ULBs. He suggested adopting cool roofs as a measure to build resilience against heat, and achieve at least 300 sq.km of cool roof area by 2028. This policy aims to scale up simple solutions at the State level to reduce the urban heat impact.