Hyderabad: Facing a cash crunch, the Telangana govt is banking on a major industrial land overhaul to raise about Rs 5,000 crore. Under the new Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation Policy (HILTP), the state has opened the door for converting industrial land in 22 parks within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) into mixed use zones.However, officials and industry insiders say only a handful of parks are likely to attract interest due to location disadvantages, ongoing industrial activity and the presence of hazardous and polluting units.Senior officials in the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) said parks such as Sanathnagar, Uppal, Kukatpally, Balanagar, Nacharam, Mallapur and Moula Ali stand the best chance of drawing responses because of their proximity to the city, metro rail access and better road networks. With industrial hubs like Sanathnagar commanding govt-notified land values of Rs 43,500 per square yard, these parks offer strong real estate potential.Some plots in Sanathnagar, Uppal, Balanagar and Nacharam have already been converted to residential use over the years, but industrialists had largely avoided large-scale transformation earlier due to persistent pollution, recurring fire accidents and the presence of sick or shuttered units. Demand remained weak despite several industries remaining shut.Industrialist R Manoj Kumar pointed to Jeedimetla’s challenges. “Now, the industrial park in Jeedimetla has a 150-acre area, with 102 acres of plotted area, and is close to the city. Still, many polluting industries are operating in Jeedimetla. There have been several fire accidents and other explosions in Jeedimetla and other areas in the past few years,” he said.He further said, “Similarly, Pashamailaram, where about 970 acres of plotted areas are available, is far from the city and recently witnessed a major explosion in Sigachi Industries. People generally hesitate to live in such areas, though industrialists come forward to develop them for residential or office purposes.”The Telangana Pollution Control Board continues to receive complaints from residents in colonies abutting industrial belts such as IDA Bollaram, Kazipally, Gaddapotharam, Jeedimetla, Mallapur and Nacharam, even though many complainants do not live inside the industrial zones themselves.‘Shift polluting units’KS Bapuji, a resident of the Nacharam industrial area, warned that conversion without shifting high-risk units would be counterproductive. “The govt should have rolled out the scheme after shifting the polluting industries outside the ORR. People cannot live or work in offices in the middle of the industries, even if some plots are converted for mixed use,” he said.TGIIC officials expect decent demand only for parks close to the city. “Of the 22 parks, about 10 to 12 may get a good response from the people. The govt’s intention is to slowly move all the industries outside the ORR by not just allowing residential but an integrated mix of activities — commercial, institutional, recreational, and even IT and ITES campuses,” an official said.
