Bamboo sheds, cool roofs for Telangana's climate resilient cities

From bamboo bus shelters that provide shade and cooling for commuters to reclamation of landfills and plugging water leaks, Telangana is rolling out a broad plan to make its cities more resilient to climate change. The measures, supported by new city policies and a project worth about ₹20,000 crore, are part of the state’s long-term vision, Telangana Rising 2047.

The plan seeks to integrate climate issues into urban planning, infrastructure development and municipal services across urban local bodies (ULBs), said Urban Administration and Urban Development Secretary TK Sreedevi. The policy framework is reinforced through a mandatory urban road code, a cool roof policy, a heat wave action plan and a treated water reuse policy. Of the 43 projects proposed under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), three have been approved.

Heat waves and erratic rainfall are increasingly evident in Telangana, although their impact varies from region to region. The government says this requires site-specific interventions based on climate data. The challenge is considerable: the state’s cities account for net emissions of around 66.56 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with buildings, transport, sewage, waste management and urban sprawl as major contributors.

Some interventions are already underway. Bamboo fogging bus shelters in Khammam use low carbon construction material while providing relief to commuters. Biomining of old landfills is aimed at reducing methane emissions and soil reclamation. In addition to expanding underground sewer networks and reusing treated wastewater, the government is also working to reduce non-revenue water through leak detection, pipe rehabilitation and digital monitoring.

The biomining program has helped avoid an estimated 5.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and regenerated about 418 acres for productive urban use, Ms. Sreedevi said.

The State Climate Center for Cities was established in the office of the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration to coordinate these efforts. It will coordinate city-level climate action plans, maintain a climate data repository and provide technical support to municipalities.

Dedicated Climate Change Cells, city-specific action plans and nine Climate Action Officers are also planned for Municipal Corporations outside Hyderabad: Greater Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad, Ramagundam, Nalgonda, Mancherial, Mahabubnagar and Kothagudem.

Telangana Urban Climate Atlas, a climate information platform, was established to help municipalities identify vulnerable areas, prioritize investments and monitor climate indicators. Capacity building programs were conducted for representatives of 113 ULBs to strengthen project readiness and planning.

A key intervention is the Cool Roof Policy, valid from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028. It targets 300 sq km of cool roofs, including 200 sq km in Hyderabad Metropolitan Area and 100 sq km in other urban local bodies. Cool roofs reflect about 80% of incident solar radiation, compared to 20% for conventional roofs. They can reduce indoor temperatures by 2.1°C to 4.3°C and reduce air conditioning costs by up to 20%. Full implementation is expected to save nearly 600 million units of electricity annually and create a one-time carbon offset of about 30 million tons of carbon dioxide.

This policy applies to government and commercial buildings and residential properties on plots of 600 square yards and above. Compliance has been integrated into the “Build Now” building approval system and linked to occupancy certification. The government has also set a three-year target for the modernization of all non-residential buildings.

Urban heat mitigation proposals for Ramagundam and Adilabad are being prepared under UCF funding. The two cities are among the 29 ULBs covered by the World Bank-backed Telangana Urban Transformation and Jobs programme, which includes urban greenery, shaded public spaces and cool roof measures.

Wastewater treatment remains a big challenge. The urban areas of Telangana produce nearly 2,750 million liters of sewage daily, while the 59 operational sewage treatment plants have a combined capacity of about 1,950 MLD. Most of the installed capacity is in Hyderabad, so smaller and medium-sized cities have a significant shortfall in treatment.

The state aims to treat 80% of wastewater and reuse 20% of treated water by 2030. The targets rise to 90% treatment and 50% reuse by 2035, and 100% for both by 2047. High-polluting industries and large-scale water users using more than 5,000 liters of treated water per day will by 200 liters per waste by 35 per day.

Other measures include drinking water kiosks planned with the Panchayati Raj department, shielded structures at major transport hubs and cooling centers at bus stations, markets, public buildings and places of worship. Community drinking water and buttermilk distribution points are also supported during the summer.

Long-term plans include avenue plantations, cool sidewalks, shaded seating, and integrated stormwater systems in road projects. Municipalities were asked to promote rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge through sumps, ditches, permeable pavements and connected sewers. Future road designs will prioritize clear footpaths, cycle lanes on wider roads, wheelchair access, better bus stops, street lighting and underground utility corridors to avoid repeated road cuts.

Published – 07 Nov 2026 01:01 IST