HYDERABAD: Did you know the present day Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Roads were envisioned by Nizam’s City Improvement Board (CIB) ? The first task that CIB embarked upon soon after its formation in 1912 was decongesting the city. As a part of this project, “the CIB recommended that an Inner Circular Road of nearly 15 km be constructed to reduce traffic in the centre of the city and an outer concentric Circular Road of nearly 30 km for future expansion,” says the study.
The present-day Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Roads which were completed in 2012, have been modified and enlarged to cover an area of 50 km 150 km respectively. The idea of axial roads connecting to the concentric circuits of ORR and ICR too have been inspired from CIB. Apart from this, in the decongesting project, the drainage system for the city was entirely revamped. “An underground system was put in place and storm water drains were separated and emptied directly into the River Musi. Feeder channels were constructed to take water away from low-lying areas to prevent stagnation and thereby disease. A new sewerage system and treatment plant was installed and effluents were treated, diluted and used for irrigation,” the study says.