Hyderabad - City of Art and Architecture
With a population of 4.5 million, Hyderabad, the capital of the State of Andhra Pradesh, is currently the fifth largest city in India. It was the ambition of its founder to develop the city as heaven on earth, but over the years it has been declining to the level of hell on earth.
Overcrowding, congestion and poor sanitation has resulted in an increased number of slums emerging in the city. Slums numbered 470 in 1982-83 and were up to 964 by 1991, while being home to over half a million people. Because the local administration was not responsible for providing civic amenities in these unauthorized colonies, there was a rapid deterioration of the environment. The physical degradation in the city, traffic hazards, inadequacy of basic services and infrastructure, and above all, frequent communal riots brought the city to the verge of collapse and shifted public opinion against the government.
Overcrowding, congestion and poor sanitation has resulted in an increased number of slums emerging in the city. Slums numbered 470 in 1982-83 and were up to 964 by 1991, while being home to over half a million people. Because the local administration was not responsible for providing civic amenities in these unauthorized colonies, there was a rapid deterioration of the environment. The physical degradation in the city, traffic hazards, inadequacy of basic services and infrastructure, and above all, frequent communal riots brought the city to the verge of collapse and shifted public opinion against the government.
