Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to play key role in global summit of cities

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will share its biodiversity activities with other cities to take up a coordinated activity, mayor Mohd Majid Hussain has said. He said the corporation will evolve a good strategy for biodiversity management soon.
Addressing a joint press conference with GHMC commissioner M T Krishna Babu at HICC on Saturday, mayor Mohd Majid Hussain said as part of the CoP-11, a major event 'City and Sub-National Biodiversity Summit' would be held on October 15 and 16 at HICC convention hall in which the corporation would play a key role.
Majid Hussain said mayors, governors, other high-ranking officials and their representative networks as well as representatives of national governments, international organisations, UN agencies and specialists from across the world would take part in the 'Cities for Life Summit' & 'City and Sub-National Biodiversity Summit.'
"About 190 international delegates, representing 79 cities from 46 countries, and 140 Indian delegates will attend the meeting. Twenty-six mayors, including 11 from India, will participate in the event," the mayor said.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to take stock of the latest relevant tools and initiatives on biodiversity and also to reiterate the importance of ecosystem services, understanding their value and present a response by local governments, sub-national governments, academia and international organisations to the 'plan of action'.
"We believe city summit recommendations will surely bring a revolutionary and healthy change. GHMC will be presenting posters along with other global cities. GHMC parks wing will release a theme brochure on Urban Biodiversity of Hyderabad. City Biodiversity Index 2012 Baseline document would also be released," the mayor said. He said exhibitions would be organised on 'Glimpses of Biodiversity of Greater Hyderabad' in association with the Osmania University and 'Trees of Hyderabad' in association with the Botanical Survey of India.
Krishna Babu said GHMC had earlier announced that the colony which maintains the best park would be presented an award at the summit. After scrutinising several nominations, three colonies have been selected. He said S C Farm Meadows Community Welfare Society, Kompally, Shanthi Nagar Welfare Association and Aparna Owners' Society, Gachibowli were chosen for first, second and third prizes respectively. These associations would be given Rs 15 lakh (1{+s}{+t} prize), Rs 10 lakh (2{+n}{+d} prize) and Rs 5 lakh (3{+r}{+d} prize) on October 16, the commissioner said.