Hyderabad young voices speak up: Children’s Parliament calls for a greener and safer city

Hyderabad: In February, 105 members of the Hyderabad City Children’s Parliament gathered at the Montfort Social Institute to debate and adopt resolutions concerning the city’s future.

Representing the city’s slums and vulnerable neighbourhoods, the parliamentarians outlined a vision based on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Following this session, the ‘Prime Minister’ of the Children’s Parliament, V Arushi, along with her Cabinet members, addressed the media at a press conference at the Basheerbagh Press Club on March 6.

They released a six-point resolution addressing urban issues, including pollution, the Musi River Development Project, housing, and digital safety.

Air quality and the Musi River

Highlighting the high Air Quality Index (AQI) in areas like Kompally, Bachupally and Bollaram, the Parliament asked for real-time air quality monitors near schools and penalties for open waste burning.

Regarding the Musi River Development Project, the children spoke about families affected by demolitions, lost livelihoods and disrupted education. They requested transparent dialogue, a halt to forced evictions and proposed relocating the Malakpet Race Course to rehabilitate displaced citizens.

Housing and disaster preparedness

The Children’s Parliament asked for a ‘Zero Evictions’ policy and urged authorities like GHMC and HYDRAA to reserve 20 per cent of urban housing for economically weaker sections.

The children also discussed urban disasters like floods and heatwaves affecting informal settlements. They called for child-focused disaster preparedness and stated that post-disaster compensation must include the replacement of lost schoolbooks, uniforms and educational certificates.

Increase in crimes against children and women

Citing a 27 per cent increase in crimes against children and a 6 per cent increase in crimes against women in Hyderabad during 2025, the children asked for safer public spaces and mandatory education on gender equality and consent for boys and men.

They also raised the issue of cybercrimes and online bullying, which cause mental stress among the youth. They proposed mandatory cyber safety education in schools and child-friendly reporting helplines.

Submitting the resolutions

The next step for the parliamentarians is to take these resolutions to the Government. Prime Minister V Arushi, Speaker Tanya Begum and other ministers will present the resolutions to officials, including Anita Ramachandran IAS and Divya Devarajan, CEO, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, Telangana, as well as relevant State ministers and government departments.