Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Wednesday that Hyderabad aims to achieve Net Zero by 2034 and will soon undertake a city-wide carbon footprint audit.
He also announced that within the next five years, there will be almost no industry or factory within the urban area.
Speaking at the Mumbai Climate Week, the Chief Minister outlined Telangana’s long-term development vision, linking economic growth with environmental sustainability.
According to Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) here, he reiterated Telangana’s ambition to grow from a 200-billion-dollar state GDP to a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 and a three-trillion-dollar economy by 2047.
He described Telangana’s strategic framework structured into three zones – CURE, PURE, and RARE.
Hyderabad has been declared the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) within the 160-kilometer Outer Ring Road. The PURE Zone, located between the Outer Ring Road and the 360-kilometer Regional Ring Road, has been dedicated to manufacturing and positioned as a major hub powered by green energy, aimed at providing a “China +1” alternative. he said.
Referring to the combined impact of Covid and climate change, the Chief Minister stated that both have changed the approach of governments, describing the present situation as a climate emergency. He emphasised that growth, investments, and job creation must continue alongside sustainability.
He stated that in Hyderabad, taxes on electric vehicles have been removed, resulting in high EV adoption, while discussions are underway with EV firms for manufacturing investments.
Over 200,000 auto-rickshaws are being retrofitted toward green alternatives, over 3,500 RTC buses are being replaced with electric buses, and the Hyderabad Metro is being expanded from 71 kilometers to over 200 kilometers. Industries are being progressively shifted from the core urban region to peri-urban zones.
Emphasising that power or energy is the real currency of any economy, the Chief Minister said development is measured by power generation and consumption.
Telangana currently consumes an average of 16,610 megawatts per day. The peak demand recorded last year was 17,162 megawatts, expected to exceed 19,000 megawatts this year, and projected to cross 34,000 megawatts by 2034 as the state targets a one-trillion-dollar economy. Nearly one quarter of the state’s energy, about 24.8 per cent or 25 per cent, is sourced from green power.
The Chief Minister highlighted sustainability initiatives including the rejuvenation of River Musi, restoration of lakes, strengthening of water and energy grids, and the establishment of HYDRAA, India’s first dedicated environmental police force.
(IANS)
