Mir Alam Tank to turn a 5km pedestrian paradise

HYDERABAD: The state government is planning to turn Mir Alam Tank into another Necklace Road by introducing a slew of projects and make it pedestrian-friendly. To begin with, a 5.5-km long lake bund will be opened for pedestrians by setting up walking tracks. Special chief secretary of urban developm-ent Arvind Kumar along with AIMIM president, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owasi inspected Mir Alam Tank on Monday to finalise the plans.In a video announcement on Twitter, Owaisi said the plan to revive Mir Alam Tank has been on the cards since 2018. "Mir Alam Tank bund gets a new lease on life! The 5.5 km tank bund will be made pedestrian-friendly as a public space & help generate many livelihoods," Owaisi tweeted. As part of the beautification works, five projects will be taken up to refurbish the 219-year-old Mir Alam Tank. Projects one and two aim at promoting revenue generation which include developing a flea market and a skill development centre along with a 'water zen' with kayaking and row boating made available to the public, officials said.Under project three, an open space to the lake will be made available without a retaining wall for pedestrians and project four aims at developing the dargah precincts. Project five aims to revive the defunct musical fountain.Official sources said the beautification works will be taken up by the GHMC and the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority and completed by the end of this year. While the beautification works are already under way, locals bemoaned the fact that Mir Alam Tank has turned into a cesspool of sewerage. "Unless the lake is restored, walking tracks are meaningless. A permanent solution should be found," Mohammed Rizwan, a local civic activist, said.