Hyderabad: At the International Association of Horticulture Producers (AIPH) 2022 World Green City Awards 2022 held in Jeju, South Korea on Friday, Hyderabad received both the overall "World Green City Award 2022" and another award in the category "Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth."
Six categories of entries were requested for the "World Green Cities Awards 2022" by AIPH. Six categories produced a total of 18 finalists, and on Friday, the final category winners were revealed, news agency IANS reported.
In response to Hyderabad city winning the coveted "International Association of Horticulture Producers" (AIPH) honours, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his delight.
The CM claimed that these accolades on a global scale have improved Telangana's and the nation's standing. "These international awards are a proof that the state government is strongly implementing the Haritaharam and urban development programs... giving green fruits to the country," he said.
"It is a matter of pride that Hyderabad is the only city from India to be selected for these international awards," he further said.
The 6 categories and shortlisted countries are Living Green for Biodiversity (Columbia, Australia, France), Living Green for Climate Change (Turkey, Australia, Mexico), Living Green for Health and Wellbeing (Brazil, Netherlands, Australia), Living Green for Water (Canada, Australia, South Africa), Living Green for Social Cohesion (Argentina, South Korea, France) and Living Green for Economic Recovery & Inclusive Growth (Canada, Iran, India).
Hyderabad is the only city in India that was chosen, and the state administration expressed delight in the fact that Hyderabad won not just the category prize but also the overall "World Green City 2022" award as the best across all six categories.
Hyderabad's application for the category "Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth" was the greening of the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The best entry in this category was the ORR greenery known as the "Green Necklace to the State of Telangana," which focuses on developing systems and solutions that enable all city inhabitants to overcome economic suffering and prosper.
K.T. Rama Rao, the minister for municipal administration, commended Arvind Kumar, the special chief secretary for MA&UD and the whole Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) team for their accomplishment.
Rama Rao has made a point of ensuring that the ORR is covered in greenery, and under the direction of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, significant greenery initiatives have been made.
This award is a testimony to the continued efforts and focus of the government of Telangana on increasing the green cover in the state through its flagship programme 'Telangana ku Haritha Haram' (TKHH), the government said.
(With Inputs From IANS)