Project Nandanavanam inaugurated on International Biodiversity Day

Hyderabad, May 22 : GHMC Mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain has inaugurated “Nandanavanam” project on the occasion International Biodiversity Day today at Imlibun Park, which is aimed to create awareness among the children about biodiversity.

Mayor said that GHMC is very keen to develop Urban Biodiversity in the twin cities as per the decision taken at COP-11 conference held last year in the month of October 2012.

It is decided to give more importance to Biodiversity in GHMC limits for which GHMC has created a separate Biodiversity wing to bring the change among the citizens life style to be more healthy to lead the life in clean, green and healthier atmosphere.

While addressing the gathering, Majid Hussain said that GHMC is the only Corporation in the Country who has started this initiative of conserving life and species. GHMC is striving very hard to create awareness about biodiversity duly coordinating with the school managements for active participation of the students so that they can change their life style to be more healthier in pollution free environment and to protect the species and living organisms in the planet.

Earlier GHMC Mayor and Commissioner went round the students who were participating in the painting competition and interacted with the students about biodiversity and praised them for coming up with good initiatives. Mayor further said that school managements must create awareness about civic sense to the students so that they can also feel the responsibility and to join hands to make Hyderabad clean, green and pollution free city. Later on, Mayor has administered biodiversity pledge.

GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu said that the GHMC is taking up initiatives for Urban Biodiversity Management resulting in converting in the human settlements as similar to the balance eco systems to host biodiversity and make the city safe and sustainable for living. The initiatives include tangible development activities and strategic steps to create a social change by way of providing biodiversity education, traditional knowledge conversation, building the capacity of staff. GHMC has enhanced the financial and human resource allocation to the sector, he added.

The Commissioner, GHMC said that Rs. 25 crores has been allotted for the biodiversity wing to take up lot of initiatives on Urban Biodiversity in the twin cities. Today GHMC is conducting International Biodiversity day. The GHMC has improved the score from 39 in the last October during COP-11 to almost to 59 points now which is very good improvement in the score. Hon’ble Chief Minister and Hon’ble Governor have put a target of reaching 65 points to the next COP-12 which is scheduled to be held in South Korea in 2014.

The GHMC is taking up development of 14 major parks for development of biodiversity where the native species and plants will be given lot of importance and lot of educational material especially depicting the use of plants etc., The Commissioner further stated that each plant literature will be made available to the student and the GHMC is giving free admissions to the students in the parks to enjoy the park and as well as see various varieties of plants and to understand the nature and also to encourage them to live with the environment and the nature. He also said that our main aim is to protect nature so naturally whatever right we have in this planet every living being is also having the same right whether it is a plant, aquatic life or animal we should respect this right and ensure that we don’t occupy their space and totally dry them out of place. So that our duty is to encourage all the living being and we are sure that all the citizens will come up and act to improve the biodiversity.

The Commissioner said that the GHMC is confident that the initiatives which are taken up now in the city and the score will definitely reach around 65 as part of improvement of biodiversity.

The proposed 14 biodiversity parks: East Zone- Mallapur behind Sanjay Nagar South End Colony Park. South Zone – Huda Colony. North Zone-APIIC Colony. Central Zone- Open space near MCRHRD, Ashwini lay out, Nandagiri Hills, Road No.44, Jubilee Hills, Open space down Daspulla Hotel. West Zone-Deepthisri nagar, Kukatpally (near lodha), Mollakathva Cheruvu, Mayuri Nagar, Gulmohar Colony.

N. Chandra Mohan Reddy, Additional Commissioner (Urban Biodiversity) N. Ravi Kiran, Zonal Commissioner (South), Ramesh Kumar, Director, Urban Biodiversity, Deputy Commissioners, A. Vijaya Laxmi, S. Pankaja, senior officials from Horticulture, Health and Engineering wings have participated in the programme.INN