A little West in the East: The many faces of Hyderabad

HYDERABAD:  Is Hyderabad a city of towering skyscrapers? Or is it like old Greek cities that are built on rocks and mountains. It’s probably a little bit of both, and it is growing according to the needs of its people. Engineers in the city are now trying to make the city more aesthetically appealing, conventional and practical than ever to cater to the changing needs. 

Hitec City is undergoing a dramatic westernisation, while the Old City is retaining its heritage soul. “We are building the infrastructure accordingly. Engineers are meticulously planning to avoid mismatch,” said Shashidhar Reddy, an assistant infrastructure engineer working with Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). 

A classic example can be seen at Tank Bund Road, where bus shelters now look like antiquated gazebos that are perfectly lined by matching LED street lamps that emit warm light. Engineers have also carpeted the entire road with a granite walkway that also has a pavement for people with disabilities. This apart, there are also trees being planted in accordance with the season to make sure that city blooms all year long. “There is focus on sustainable development so, the government is paving way for avenues, followed by aesthetics, whenever space permits. The government plans to make the entire city beautiful,” the engineer adds. 

For Shehith Verma, who is currently pursuing a graduation in designing in Italy, Tank Bund looks different. “From one angle, it looks like the Como Lake in Italy. Some may think there is no comparison because the Como Lake is enormous but when I came here, it was my first impression after looking at the new Tank Bund, which has a similar lighting effect, railing and the overall aura, except the mountains.”

B Arihant, an Indian American who works as a software engineer in Manhattan and is visiting Hyderabad after 12 years, says he was shocked to see the city. “It has wider roads, more cars and an overall better infrastructure to support growth. It’s clean too. The western part of the city definitely does resemble Dallas as the Chief Minister had promised to make it,” chuckles Arihant.

“Maybe we don’t have very tall skyscrapers, but Dallas doesn’t either. It also has a bridge that runs over the river, called Margaret Mount Hill Bridge, which looks somewhat like the cable bridge over Durgam Cheruvu,” he adds. 

There is a unique twist-circled walkway at Mindspace that connects the office blocks to the metros. There are wider boulevards near Wipro Junction, which has footpaths dotted with benches. Likewise, the space under the pillars of flyovers are being converted into small parks with plants and are filled with aesthetic art installations.