Guide to Understanding the Lack of Lung Space in Hyderabad: Causes, Facts, and Solutions

Hyderabad, a rapidly growing metropolitan city in southern India, has transformed from a historic center of culture to a booming hub for IT, real estate, and infrastructure. However, this rapid urbanization has brought with it a significant challenge — a drastic reduction in lung space, commonly understood as green, open areas like parks, gardens, forests, and wetlands that help purify air, regulate temperature, and support urban biodiversity.

This guide explores the causes behind this decline, why it matters, recent developments, relevant policies, and potential solutions to improve urban green cover in Hyderabad.

Understanding Lung Space and Why Hyderabad Is Losing It

Lung space refers to the open green areas within and around a city that serve as the lungs for the urban ecosystem. These include public parks, urban forests, lakes, community gardens, wetlands, and buffer zones around water bodies.

In Hyderabad, lung space is shrinking due to a combination of uncontrolled urban expansion, high demand for residential and commercial real estate, and encroachments on natural spaces. Key contributing factors include:

• Rapid real estate development in zones such as Gachibowli, HITEC City, and Kondapur

• Illegal constructions and land encroachments on lakes, forest lands, and public spaces

• Lack of strict enforcement of urban planning norms

• Infrastructure projects that override environmental concerns (e.g., flyovers, roads)

• Neglect of tree plantation and lake restoration efforts

According to studies by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Hyderabad lost about 78% of its green cover between 1990 and 2020.

Why This Issue Matters Today

The issue of diminishing lung space in Hyderabad is not just an environmental concern — it’s a matter of public health, climate resilience, and urban sustainability. Here’s why it’s critically important:

Health Impacts

• Air pollution levels have risen due to vehicular traffic and lack of green cover

• Increase in respiratory diseases, allergies, and urban heat stress

• Reduced opportunities for physical and mental wellness due to lack of recreational green areas

Environmental Consequences

• Urban flooding due to loss of wetlands and catchment areas

• Heat islands created by unbroken concrete development

• Loss of biodiversity, especially birds, insects, and native flora

Social Inequality

• Low-income areas are often more severely affected, lacking access to parks or trees

• Unequal distribution of green spaces across different parts of the city

In short, everyone — from children and the elderly to working professionals — is impacted in some way by this growing crisis.

Recent Updates and Trends (2024–2025)

Several developments in the past year have shed light on Hyderabad’s green space issues:

Government Laws and Policies Related to Lung Space

The regulation and development of green spaces in Hyderabad fall under several key government frameworks:

GHMC Master Plan 2031

• Green Buffer Zones are mandated along lakes and water bodies

• Allocates 10% land for parks in residential layouts

• Enforcement has been inconsistent, with multiple violations

Environment Protection Act, 1986

• Governs pollution control and protection of ecologically sensitive areas

• Often invoked in court cases related to environmental degradation

Telangana State Industrial Policy Framework (TS-iPASS)

• Encourages green industrial zones but has also fast-tracked urban infrastructure in sensitive areas

Telangana Haritha Haram

• Massive afforestation program targeting degraded forests and urban spaces

• Success depends on community participation and post-plantation care

Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017

• Meant to protect lakes and marshlands

• Implementation remains poor, with illegal encroachments still widespread

Helpful Tools, Resources, and Platforms

A number of public tools, civic platforms, and mobile apps can help citizens, researchers, and policy makers stay informed and engaged:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What is lung space, and why is it called that?
A: Lung space refers to the green, open areas in a city — such as parks, forests, lakes, and gardens — that help purify the air and regulate temperature, similar to how lungs work in the human body.

Q2: How much green cover should Hyderabad ideally have?
A: The National Forest Policy recommends at least 33% green cover in urban areas. Hyderabad currently has around 6–9%, far below the ideal level.

Q3: What role do lakes play in urban green space?
A: Lakes act as natural regulators of temperature and water storage. They also support biodiversity and offer open spaces around them. Loss of lakes leads to increased flooding and heat.

Q4: Are there any laws preventing construction on green spaces?
A: Yes. Various zoning regulations under GHMC Master Plan and national laws such as the Environment Protection Act prevent construction on notified green zones and wetlands. However, enforcement remains weak.

Q5: What can citizens do to help improve green cover?
A: Citizens can:

• Participate in local tree planting and park maintenance drives

• Use civic platforms to report encroachments

• Demand accountability from local authorities

• Support NGOs working in environmental conservation

• Educate others about the value of green spaces

Conclusion

The loss of lung space in Hyderabad is a pressing urban challenge that demands coordinated action from government bodies, civil society, and citizens alike. It impacts the health, climate resilience, and quality of life of millions.

While recent awareness and judicial interventions offer hope, long-term solutions will require sustainable urban planning, community engagement, and strict implementation of environmental policies. As Hyderabad continues to expand, the true test of its success will lie in how well it preserves its natural spaces — the lungs that keep its future breathable.