rediff.com
News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Business » The greenest cities in India. Does your town make the cut?
This article was first published 12 years ago

The greenest cities in India. Does your town make the cut?

Last updated on: June 2, 2011 10:00 IST

Image: Rampant development threatens sustainability of many cities.
With air and noise pollution increasing, rampant development taking over whatever green space is available, and concrete jungle replacing the green one, it is heartening to know that there are still cities in India that believe in sustainable, eco-friendly development.

As the World Environment Day approaches (June 5), let us look at 9 greenest Indian cities.

Click NEXT to see which city has made it to the list...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Chandigarh is India's first planned city.
Chandigarh

As the first planned city of India, Chandigarh is known for its architecture and urban planning. The capital of two states is home to numerous architectural projects by world-renowned architects.

According to a Ministry of Urban Development study, Chandigarh has emerged as the cleanest city in India, while also topping the List of Indian states and territories by Human Development Index.

The city, located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas, is famous for its Rock Garden, Suhana Lake and Rose Garden.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Gandhinagar has a spacious, well-organized look.
Gandhinagar

Gujarat's capital lies on the west bank of the Sabarmati River and presents a spacious, well-organised look of an architecturally integrated city.

Thirty sectors, into which the city has been divided, stretch around the government complex. Each sector has its own shopping and community centrr, primary school, health centre, government and private housing.

Apart from which there is a generous provision for wide open green parks, extensive planting and a large recreational area along the river giving the city a lush green garden-city atmosphere.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Bhopal is known as the Lake City.
Bhopal

The city is known as the Lake City for its various natural as well as artificial lakes and is one of the greenest cities in India.

The city has more than 30 lakes, including the Upper Lake, the oldest man-made lake in India.

Bhopal, which is surrounded by lush green trees and hills, is located at the upper limit of the Vindhya mountain ranges, and apart from lakes there is also a Van Vihar National Park, a once barren land was declared a National Park in 1983.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Nagpur lies precisely at the centre of the country.
Nagpur

The city lies precisely at the centre of the country with the Zero Mile marker indicating the geographical centre of India.

Nagpur is dotted with natural and man-made lakes with Ambazari being the largest. Other natural lakes include Gorewada Lake and Telangkhedi lake. Sonegaon along with Gandhisagar are man-made lakes created by cities historical rulers.

Nagpur is known for its rich forest resources, greenery and lush vegetation. The city of orange is surrounded by many parks and three famous Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are home to many wild animals, including the Royal Bengal Tiger.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Jamshedpur was founded by late Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata.
Jamshedpur

The city founded by late Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata, is a planned industrial city. It is also known as Steel City and TataNagar.

It is located on the Chota Nagpur plateau and is surrounded by the picturesque Dalma Hills. Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers border the city on the north and west parts of the city.

Jamshedpur was declared the seventh cleanest city of India for the year 2010 according to survey by the Government of India.

It has been selected as one of the cities for the Global Compact Cities Pilot Programme by United Nations, the only one to be selected in India as well as the entire South-East Asia.

The major attraction of Steel city are Dimna Lake, Jubilee Park, Zoological Park and Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a dense forests in Jamshedpur and rich in flora and fauna.

The responsibility of conservation and maintenance are taken care of by Tata Steel.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Thiruvananthapuram is built on seven hills.
Thiruvananthapuram

The city, called the 'Evergreen city of India' by Mahatma Gandhi, is a city built on seven hills.

It is famous for its beaches, monuments and backwater stretches. It is also a major destination for tourist looking for natural beauty and serene greenery.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Bengaluru is the original Garden City.
Bengaluru

The city, earlier known as Bangalore, is the original Garden City. Bangalore is blessed with a pleasant climate, scenic gardens, beautiful parks and natural lakes.

The city has several freshwater lakes and water tanks, the largest of which are Madivala tank, Hebbal lake, Ulsoor lake and Sankey Tank.

Due to rapid development, the Garden City has lost some of its lush, but efforts are under way to plant trees around the city and bring some green back.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Almost all public transportation in New Delhi is running on CNG.
New Delhi

India's capital New Delhi, described by the National Geographic's Traveler magazine as 'one of the Ultimate Cities of a Lifetime to visit and explore', is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and lush greenery.

A government plan, the Green Delhi Action Plan, undertook measures to plant saplings to minimize air pollution. Another successful plan was to convert nearly all modes of public transportation from petrol or diesel run into compressed natural gas.

This move has considerably brought down air pollution in the capital.

...

India's greenest cities. Does your's make the cut?

Image: Pune has a number of public gardens.

Pune

The city has a number of public gardens, such as the Kamala Nehru Park, Sambhaji Park, Shahu Udyan, Peshwe Park, Saras Baug, Empress Garden, Taljai Hills and Bund Garden.

Pu La Deshpande Udyan is a replica of the Korakuen Garden in Okayama, Japan.

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park is located at Katraj, close to the city.

The city is located at foothills of Sahyadri Mountains and is surrounded by hills and green forest, which makes it one of the greenest areas in the country.

The popular attractions of Pune are green parks, big gardens, libraries, museums, amusement, water parks and the best attractions is the climate of Pune, which remains pleasant throughout the year.