HYDERABAD: Following the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has started the preparatory work for undertaking metro rail project in Old City. The 5.5-km balance Metro alignment in Old City is from MGBS to Falaknuma via Darulshifa junction, Purani Haveli, Ettebar Chowk, Alijakotla, Mir Momin Daira, Haribowli, Shalibanda, Shamsheergunj and Aliabad. There will be five stations namely Salarjung Museum, Charminar, Shalibanda, Shamsheergunj and Falaknuma.
Though the metro station locations are about 500 metres away from Salarjung Museum and Charminar, these two stations are being named after them in view of their importance and pride of place they occupy in the city.
There are 103 religious and other sensitive structures including 21 masjids, 12 temples, 12 ashoorkhanas, 33 dargahs, seven graveyards and six chillas in this stretch. Through engineering solutions like adjustment of curvature, viaduct design & heights, suitable alteration of metro pillar locations etc., except for four all these religious/sensitive structures have been spared.
HMRL managing director (MD) NVS Reddy said that on the instructions of the chief minister and MA&UD Minister K T Rama Rao, further engineering refinement is being done to the metro alignment to save the remaining four religious structures as well. To save the religious/sensitive structures, road widening will be restricted to 80 feet.
Learning lessons from the Phase 1 project in the rest of the city, road will be widened at the station locations to 120 feet. Preparation of individual sketches of the 1,000 odd affected properties has started and land acquisition notices will be issued in about a month, added NVS Reddy.