Last updated: June 2024
The extensive Rain Garden Project underneath the Begumpet flyover was carried out in Hyderabad City of Telangana State in India as a beautification project, creating a wetland system banked by lush vegetation (1,2, 4). The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) developed this project to restore, conserve and regenerate the environment of stormwater drains (locally named as open 'Nalas') (1,2,3,6). This project is located at the intersection of Kukatpally Nala and Yousufguda Nala and stretches over 2 hectares and runs for 400 meters (1,2). The project was created for a more natural flow of stormwater to allow it to soak into the ground as well as reduce mosquito breeding on Nala (1,2). It was completed in 2018, creating a positive impact, through which the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) further decided to develop more such projects in other parts of the city (4). Hyderabad City was also awarded for this project under the green and clean city category - Smart Cities India (SCI) Awards (5).
Aerial View of the Rain Garden Project
By Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar - Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), available at https://twitter.com/arvindkumar_ias/status/1420263789916684295/photo/4
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems
Project objectives
- To develop a rain garden which restores, conserves and regenerates the environment and helps in stormwater management by establishing an interplay between ecology and public open spaces
- To carry out development and beautification of the stinking storm water drain (Nala) underneath the Begumpet flyover by creating beautifully landscaped open streams
- To enable smooth flow of water through the Nala and improve water quality
- To reduce the mosquito breeding at Nala to avoid the spread of diseases
- To develop lush green and meaningful open spaces in a choked urban agglomeration area, with improved public amenities for supporting recreation
- To improve pollution mitigation, health and hygiene and save costs for desilting and wastewater treatments (1,2,3,4).
Implementation activities
As preparation for the development of the rain garden, the area underwent a cleaning of debris and garbage dump process at the Kukatpally nala at Begumpet (Ref. 3). Plantation of native species like vetiver typha latifolia, canna, cyperus alterniforus and ipomea carnea took place in the riverbanks of the canal (Ref. 4), creating a wetland system banked by lush vegetation (Ref. 4).
The Rain Garden Project also focused on enhancing recreational and improved access to natural spaces with improved public amenities such as: 10 feet wide walking tracks shaded by coconut palms; crossover bridges; stepped green lawns and well-lit landscapes with LED lights (Ref. 3).
This project was completed in 2018, creating such positive impacts, that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) further decided to develop more such rain garden projects in other parts of the city (Ref. 1, 4).
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Rain Garden Project was implemented under the Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), which is the urban planning government agency of Hyderabad (1,2,3,4,6).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Telangana Today. (2021). Hyderabad: Rain garden at Begumpet Nala turns feast for eye. Hyderebad: Telangana Today, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
2. Sakina, Fatima. (2021). Rain garden at Begumpet Nala turns out to be spectacular. The Siasat Daily, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
3. Kaleru, Vasavi. (2020). Hyderabad: Rain Garden works in Begumpet resume. Hans India, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
4. The New Indian Express. (2020). Rain gardens keep nalas clean. The New Indian Express, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
5. MENAFN. (2021). Hyderabad bags three Smart City awards. MENAFN, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
6. HMDA. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
7. News desk (2020) Hyderabad to have more rain gardens, available at Source link (accessed 12-04-2023)
2. Sakina, Fatima. (2021). Rain garden at Begumpet Nala turns out to be spectacular. The Siasat Daily, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
3. Kaleru, Vasavi. (2020). Hyderabad: Rain Garden works in Begumpet resume. Hans India, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
4. The New Indian Express. (2020). Rain gardens keep nalas clean. The New Indian Express, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
5. MENAFN. (2021). Hyderabad bags three Smart City awards. MENAFN, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
6. HMDA. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, available at Source link (accessed 10-03-2023)
7. News desk (2020) Hyderabad to have more rain gardens, available at Source link (accessed 12-04-2023)
Stepped lawn in the project area
By Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar - Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), available at https://twitter.com/arvindkumar_ias/status/1420263789916684295/photo/1
Plantations in the project area
By Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar - Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), available at https://twitter.com/arvindkumar_ias/status/1420263789916684295/photo/2
Circular Walkway at intersection of 2 Nalas (storm water drains)
By Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar - Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), available at https://twitter.com/arvindkumar_ias/status/1420263789916684295/photo/3
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.