Redefining the Boundaries | Mrugavani National Park

Mrugavani National Park in Hyderabad is primarily a deer park and was declared as a National park in 1994. The recent proposal of the Eco-sensitive zone has raised concerns as it was perceived as the way for real estate and commercial activity in and around the protected area. The present scenario of the land is found to be in the stages of degradation. On further investigation, it is seen that the National park is under threat of overgrazing from the Deer species, which are present in large numbers. This gave an opportunity to study and understand the ecological layers and designing solutions for the self-sustainability of the forest and its habitats. Buffers are critical for Protected areas and these areas are critical for cities, a conventional regulatory framework to define buffer areas does not fit into the urban context. Therefore the need to study buffer zones of urban lung spaces and finding an appropriate way to define them is vital for the survival of such urban landscapes.