In a landmark decision that reshapes urban governance in India, Hyderabad has dramatically expanded its civic boundaries to create the country's largest municipal corporation. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has undergone a massive transformation that positions it as an unprecedented urban administrative entity.
Unprecedented Expansion Scale
The state cabinet and GHMC council approved the historic merger on Tuesday, resulting in the incorporation of 27 surrounding municipalities and municipal corporations into the existing GHMC framework. This monumental restructuring has catapulted the civic body's geographical coverage from 650 square kilometers to a staggering 2,053 square kilometers.
This expanded footprint makes GHMC larger than any other urban civic body in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. The corporation's jurisdiction has effectively tripled overnight, creating an administrative behemoth that underscores Hyderabad's remarkable urban growth trajectory.
Comparative Urban Landscape
The scale of GHMC's expansion becomes particularly striking when compared with other major Indian cities. Greater Mumbai's corporation spans just 437 square kilometers, while Navi Mumbai covers 343 square kilometers. Chennai operates with a modest 426 square kilometer corporation, and even Delhi's unified corporation created in 2022 after a decade-long split doesn't match GHMC's current scale.
Interestingly, Hyderabad's approach contrasts sharply with trends in other metropolitan centers. While cities like Bengaluru are moving toward fragmentation for better management, Hyderabad has chosen consolidation. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, which unified 712 square kilometers, is now being carved into five smaller corporations - Central, East, North, South, and West, with the Karnataka government issuing a notification for their creation in July this year.
Administrative Implications and Future Scenarios
Despite the massive expansion, senior officials acknowledge that this configuration might be temporary. The state government is exploring the possibility of splitting the enlarged civic body into two or three smaller corporations. However, even in such a scenario, officials emphasize that the 'greater' tag should continue to exist for Hyderabad's capital region.
A former GHMC commissioner highlighted the importance of maintaining coordination, stating, "For any city's civic corporation, especially its state's capital, there should be a 'greater' tag, and there should always be a senior IAS officer as commissioner to avoid any coordination issues."
Retaining the GHMC identity is considered crucial since several central government schemes are specifically tied to the corporation. Maintaining the body - at least in name - would ensure administrative continuity and prevent disruption in ongoing development projects and welfare schemes.
Behind the Scenes: Data-Driven Restructuring
Municipal administration officials have been meticulously preparing for this transformation by compiling comprehensive datasets on how India's major metropolitan corporations function. Their research includes detailed comparisons of population demographics, number of households, revenue streams, infrastructure levels, and governance models across different cities.
The officials have also assembled detailed profiles of all 27 urban local bodies (ULBs) slated for merger with GHMC. These profiles encompass demographic data, financial positions, and the specific assembly and parliamentary constituencies falling within their boundaries.
According to municipal administration sources, this exercise goes beyond mere physical restructuring. The comprehensive study aims to understand how other large city corporations were formed, how they were managed after mergers or splits, and whether a unified commissionerate or multiple commissioners deliver better results for residents.
The creation of India's largest civic body marks a significant chapter in Hyderabad's urban development story, potentially setting new benchmarks for metropolitan governance while raising important questions about optimal administrative structures for rapidly growing Indian cities.
