Green City of the world 2022

India is a country that takes pride in its vegetation, multiculturalism, and unity in diversity. India has worked to become one of the best countries in the world as a democratic nation holding together a vast population. Among these significant achievements of India, Hyderabad, the City of Nawabs, has bagged the prestigious ‘World Green City Award 2022’ & become the Green City of the world 2022, beating 18 cities like Paris, Bogota, Mexico City, Montreal, and Fortaleza in Brazil. The City was awarded at the International Association of Horticulture Producers (AIPH) 2022 World Green City Awards 2022, held in Jeju Islands, South Korea.

Additionally, with the title of “green city of the world,” the City of pearls has also won an award for ‘Living Green for Economic Recovery & Inclusive Growth.’ The award was given to the Telangana government’s large-scale tree-planting program, known as “Telangana Ku Haritha Haram,” which was carried out from 2015 to 2016. The program envisages increasing the tree coverage of the State from 24% to 33% of the total geographical area of the State.

Back then the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao also urged the officials & public representatives to continue working towards making Telangana a green state, even after the Hyderabad green city award. He says that the state government’s efforts and commitment to the environment are something the world should be proud of as the Green city of the world. 

About World Green City Award-

• Hyderabad won in the Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth category at the International Association of Horticulture Producers (AIPH) 2022 World Green Cities Awards, organized in Jeju, South Korea.

• Living Green for Economic Recovery & Inclusive Growth includes creating solutions that allow all city residents to overcome economic distress and thrive towards sustainability.

• Under this category, the greening of the Outer Ring Road(ORR) was submitted for Hyderabad’s nomination.

• Hyderabad was the only City from India that was selected.

• The City won the category and the World Green Cities 2022 award.

• The prestigious world-renowned Jury voted the Grand Winner based on the City’s impact on inspiring transformative change as demonstrated in their entry.

• The award is given in the following six categories-

1. Living Green for Health and Wellbeing.
2. Living Green for Biodiversity.
3. Living Green for Climate Change.
4. Living Green for Water.
5. Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth.
6. Living Green for Social Cohesion.

• The AIPH World Green City Awards is an ongoing competition, with entries open every two years, allowing approximately 18 months from the call for entries to the awards ceremony. Cities are invited to enter, and the winners are announced at special event awards ceremonies.

A brief note on Hyderabad-

• Hyderabad is the capital & largest City of Telangana state. It is Telangana’s largest and most-populous City.
• Hyderabad is located on the banks of Musi River in the heart of the Telangana Plateau, a central upland region of the Deccan (peninsular India).
• Hyderabad was founded by the Quṭb Shāhī sultans of Golconda. Under their kingdom of rule Golconda reached a position of importance in the second position after the Mughal Empire of the north.
• The old fortress town of Golconda had proven insufficient as the kingdom’s capital, so Muammad Qul Qub Shah, the fifth of the Qub Shahs, built a new city, a short distance from old Golconda called Hyderabad on the east bank of the Musi River, around 1591.
• The Charminar is a grand architectural composition, a masterpiece even today built in Indo-Saracenic style with open arches and four minarets, considered the pinnacle of Qub Shh period achievement.
• Hyderabad was famous for its beauty and wealth, but that glory didn’t last for long as the Qub Shahi dynasty reigned.
• In 1685, the Mughals conquered Hyderabad.
• The Mughals occupation in the city was accompanied by plunder and destruction, and it was followed by European intervention in Indian affairs.
• The Mughal ruler of the Deccan, af Jh Nizam al-Mulk, declared independence in 1724. The Deccan kingdom became known as the princely State of Hyderabad, with Hyderabad as its capital.
• During the nineteenth century, the Jhs began to rebuild, expanding the north side of the old City across river Musi.
• Northern part of Secunderabad grew as a British cantonment (military facility) that was further connected to Hyderabad by a bund (embankment) 1.6 km long on Hussain Sagar Lake.
• After Independence in 1947, violence by the Razakars a Muslim militia—against Hindu communities drew the attention of the Indian government.
• In September 1948, the Indian army intervened(Operation Polo), invading Hyderabad and efficiently routing nizam’s forces. The princely state finally became the state of Hyderabad in the Indian union in 1950.
• From 1956 to 2014, Hyderabad was the capital of Andhra Pradesh state, but with the creation of the state of Telangana from separation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, it was redesignated as the capital of Telangana.

Hyderabad has set new standards of sustainable living by winning hyderabad green city award. Nalanda school, the best school in Hyderabad, helps students create a better proportion of leadership and social responsibility to lead a sustainable life.