HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday granted the state government time till April 22 to file its response to a PIL challenging the proposed alignment of the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II, Corridor-VI, through the Charminar and Falaknuma heritage precincts.
The PIL, filed by the Act Public Welfare Foundation (APWF), raises concerns over the potential impact of the project on historically significant sites.
A bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, postponed the hearing to April 22 following a request by Additional Advocate General (AAG) Mohd Imran Khan who sought additional time to file a consolidated response to an affidavit submitted on April 16, 2025.
He also gave an assurance to the court that no declared archaeological structures would be touched or demolished until the next hearing date.
The PIL seeks a halt on all ongoing and future construction activities related to Metro Rail Phase-II within the Charminar, Falaknuma and other heritage zones, claiming that it poses a threat to several protected monuments.
The petition also urges the state government and Metro Rail authorities to explore alternative alignments to protect historic structures, including Purani Haveli, Aza Khana-e-Zohra, Jama Masjid, Darulshifa and the Moghalpura Tomb.