HYDERABAD: A major hurdle in the construction of the 41.5-km greenfield radial road connecting the Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Raviryal with the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR) near Amangal has been cleared with the state government granting final (Stage-II) forest clearance for the diversion of 87.66 hectares of forest land.
The approval allows Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) to proceed with the project, subject to compliance with environmental and forest conservation conditions prescribed by the Centre and the state. The land requirement has been reduced from the originally proposed 95.86 hectares.
The six-lane (3+3) partially access-controlled expressway, expandable to eight lanes, is aimed at improving connectivity in southern Hyderabad and supporting future urban growth. It will also provide space for a future Metro or rail corridor, cycle tracks, pedestrian pathways, green buffers and utility corridors.
The Rs 4,030-crore project will be executed in two phases. As part of the clearance, authorities have mandated compensatory afforestation over 97.42 hectares at three locations in Talamadugu mandal of Adilabad district. Officials will undertake plantation and maintenance works. The approval stipulates that the legal status of the forest land cannot be altered and that no changes to the project alignment can be made without prior approval from the Union government.
Officials said any future implementation of the proposed multi-modal transport system through another agency would require prior Union government approval.