Governor Highlights Telangana's Major Urban Projects

Hyderabad: The Telangana government's major urban development initiatives, such as the trifurcation of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Musi Riverfront project, the establishment of Future City, the expansion of air connectivity and proposed bullet train links, have figured prominently in the Governor's address to the joint session of the Legislature on Monday.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said the government was operationalising the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) model to ensure sustainable and equitable growth as Telangana undergoes rapid urbanisation, with the urban population projected to reach 53.8 per cent by 2031.

As part of this strategy, the government has trifurcated GHMC into three entities — Cyberabad Municipal Corporation, Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation and a reconstituted GHMC — to improve civic administration, strengthen infrastructure planning and ensure quicker grievance redressal. The government also plans to enact a CURE Act to replace the existing GHMC Act and bring multiple urban agencies, such as HMWSSB and HYDRAA, under a unified framework.

To improve policing and administrative efficiency, the Hyderabad metropolitan region has been reorganised into four police commissionerates: Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, and the newly created Future City Commissionerate. The government has also decided to relocate polluting industries in Hyderabad beyond the Outer Ring Road under the HILT policy and promote electric vehicles by exempting them from life tax, while plans are underway to ban single-use plastic in the CURE area.

Highlighting environmental initiatives, the Governor said HYDRAA has reclaimed more than 1,045 acres of public land and water bodies, securing urban assets valued at nearly ₹60,000 crore. Several lakes, including Bathukamma Kunta, Nalla Cheruvu and Bam-Ruk-Uddin-Dowla lake, have recently been reclaimed and rejuvenated.

The Governor said the government is implementing the 55-km Musi Riverfront Transformation Project, from Osmansagar and Himayatsagar to Gandhi Sarovar, to revitalise Hyderabad's ecological corridor. Phase I of the project is underway and will receive 2.5 TMC of water through the Godavari Phase II and III projects, while 45 sewage treatment plants are operational. Another 39 are under construction to support river rejuvenation.

The government is also developing the Gandhi Sarovar project at the confluence of the Musi and Esa rivulets as a world-class experiential centre dedicated to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Governor also highlighted the upcoming Hyderabad–Amaravati Expressway, which will connect Hyderabad with Amaravati and extend to Bandar Port to boost regional connectivity. He noted that the Centre has proposed three high-speed bullet train corridors linking Hyderabad with Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune, and the state government will work to develop Shamshabad as a major bullet train hub.

Governor Shukla said the Centre has approved proposals for new airports at Warangal and Adilabad, and the state government is taking steps for their early establishment to enhance air connectivity.

Shukla also highlighted the formation of the Future City Development Authority in March 2025 to guide development across 765 sq km covering 56 villages and seven mandals. At its core will be Bharat Future City, a 30,000-acre greenfield smart city designed on the "15-minute city" model, with walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods to anchor Telangana's future economic growth.