Hyderabad: GHMC reduces morning walk time in seven parks

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has reduced morning walkers’ time by one hour in seven parks, including Imliban Park, Indira Park, K. Laxminarayana Yadav Park, Jalagam Vengal Rao Park, Chacha Nehru Park, Krishna Kant Park, and A.S. Rao Nagar Park.

It has also decided to levy a Rs 1,000 fee on visitors who bring cameras inside the parks. Apart from that, the corporation has declared that it has the authority to remove anyone from the park if they cause disturbance to visitors, which is seen as a new form of moral policing.

The administration of Indira Park in Domalguda, Hyderabad, put up a banner in August indicating that unmarried couples were not permitted entry. The administration took down the banner after a photo of it leaked on social media sites and several individuals slammed the decision. The banner was hung by subordinate police, according to civic officials at the time.

In the most recent step, however, GHMC officials said in tender papers requesting contractors to maintain the parks that “any action visitor which could create difficulty to visitors or to the park, that visitor won’t be allowed,”

However, GHMC failed to elaborate the kind of inconvenience.

The GHMC is limiting morning walkers’ access from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. in the new year, as opposed to 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. before when they were permitted admittance without charge.

The corporation recommended charging a Rs 10 access charge from 8 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. in the bids. It collects Rs 10 from individuals above the age of 12 and Rs 2 from those aged 5 to 12.

The corporation has chosen to charge Rs 1,000 for carrying cameras, but in October, the special chief secretary and the commissioner of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) cancelled the fee at key parks such as NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park, and Sanjeevaiah Park.