MONTHLY MEETINGS

APRIL 2019

Date: 12th April 2019 

The following persons were present at the meeting:

 

1.         Sri. M. Vedakumar

2.         Sri. M. H. Rao

3.         Sri. S. Adarsh Kumar Srivastav 

4.         Sri. G. Venugopal Rao

5.         Sri. Mohammad Turab

6.         Sri. K. Prabhakar

7.         Smt. Indira, (APSA)

8.         Smt. A. V. Ambika, Aman Vedika

 

A discussion took place regarding the following:

 

MASS TRANSPORT: RTI requests have been made to the concerned authorities on MMTS, BRTS, HMRL and TSRTC to gather information on their services and measures currently being discussed to improve them. Responses are expected on MMTS, HMRL and BRTS.

 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS: Upon invitation from the Department of Heritage Telangana, Forum submitted information on the following

1)  All clock towers of Hyderabad and Secunderabad

2) All gate ways of Hyderabad and Secunderabad

3)  Heritage buildings and sites

 

WATER BODIES: Forum requested information from concerned departments and the protection and planned restoration of lakes.

 

MASTER PLAN: A roundtable on the Master Plan, involving concerned government bodies and other agencies, was proposed.

 

SHELTER TO HOMELESS: Members discussed creative solutions to provide shelter to homeless children at a feasible and affordable rate. 

 

ORGANISATIONAL: The members had an extensive discussion on the tentative dates for Forum’s Annual Meet 2019 and potential guests for the event. They also discussed the Annual Number for 2018-19 

MARCH 2019

Date: 8th March 2019 

The following persons were present at the meeting:

 

1.         Sri. Rao Chelikani

2.         Sri. K. Prabhakar

3.         Sri. S. Adarsh Kumar Srivastav

 

As the Forum was not present in its entirety, an informal discussion took place regarding the following:

 

TELANGANA COUNCIL ELELCTIONS AND ELECTORAL LIST: The possibility of commissioning an independent party to prepare a master electoral roll based on previously available Aadhar Card information was suggested.  This matter has been conveyed to Sri. Rajat Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana State. It was also proposed that voters should have the option of voting online or on their mobile phone to increase voter turnout.

 

MASTER PLAN: It was suggested that the existing Master Plan should be modified with required additions and deletions as opposed to preparing an entirely new master plan.

 

METRO TRAIN: An online suggestion box should be made available to commuters to receive feedback regarding the Metro rail service and make corresponding improvements to the system. 

 

GREENERY: The protection of trees should be given utmost importance. The Tree protection Committee has rejected many applications for tree felling due to unsatisfactory reasons.

 

BUS SHELTERS: Bus shelters should be constructed at necessary to protect commuters from the sun. 

 

WATER BODIES: Letters should be sent to relevant authorities in Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts regarding the protection of lakes.

FEBRUARY 2019

Date: 8th February 2019 

 

The following persons were present at the meeting:

 

1.         Sri. M. H. Rao

2.         Sri. K. Prabhakar

3.         Sri. S. Adarsh Kumar Srivastav

4.         Sr. Narahari

5.         Smt. Shobha Singh


The meeting was chaired by Ms. Shobha Singh in the absence of the Chairman Mr. M. Vedakumar, who was away at a tree inspection at Balanagar, Jeedimetla and Attapur. The topics discussed were:

FLOODS & DRAINAGE: There was discussion on the functionality of an STP located near Hussain Sagar. The members also suggested that there should be separate pipelines for rainwater and sewage, to prevent overflowing on the roads. In Madhapur, during the rainy season, there is choking of drainage and rainwater channels. It was also noted that the entry of untreated industrial effluents into drains is a threat to the health of the population living the region.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT: A popular opinion expressed at the meeting was the need for the historic city of Hyderabad to have lungspaces to provide clean air. Mr. M. H. Rao proposed that Forum conduct a seminar on ‘Urban Greenery’ within the next two months.

MMTS: A discussion on Phase I and Phase II of the MMTS took place. An RTI request seeking detailed information on the MMTS was submitted to the concerned authorities and is being pursued.

METRO RAIL:  The members appreciate the presence of green modes of transportation available at select metro stations to provide last mile connectivity to commuters. They also discussed the possibility of providing multi-level parking at metro stations to encourage those with private vehicles to use public transport.

BRTS: There was discussion on the need to evolve the idea of a BRTS system to cater to the needs of commuters.

HARITA HARAM: Members praised the Haritha Haram programme undertaken by the Government of Telangana involving students. They also suggested that awareness programmes should be organized.

JANUARY 2019

Date: 16th January 2019 

 

The members of Forum met to discuss the agenda for the coming month and the progress of the last two months of the previous year. 

Mr. M. Vedakumar explained the impact that the Forum’s Green Manifesto has had on the environmental agenda political parties during the Telangana State Legislative Assembly elections of 2018 and the new government of Telangana. The discussion then moved onto the topic of the feasibility of the 2BHK scheme, a key campaign promise of the ruling party. The members agreed that filing an RTI request inquiring about the plan and progress of the construction of the houses would be the best way forward. It would allow us the gauge the thinking of the state government regarding the scheme and also fill in some crucial gaps in the public’s knowledge surrounding it. 

To conclude the meeting, it was suggested that Forum take up the issue of urban greening and organise a series of workshops or seminars addressing the same. 

NOVEMBER 2018

Date: 16th November 2018

 

The members of Forum met to discuss the policy guidelines laid out in the Green Manifesto 2018 prepared for political parties contesting in the Telangana State Legislative Assembly elections. They agreed on a plethora of subjects that should be included in the Manifesto, with the intention that the parties in question include, in their manifesto, policies on the same issues.