'Flyovers parallel to Metro will ruin the city'

HYDERABAD: The Metro Corridor1 from Miyapur to LB Nagar is a disaster in the making and will ruin the city, Citizens for Better Public Transport in Hyderabad (CBPTH) alleges.

The conditions stipulated by the ministry of road transport and highways of the Union government for the MiyapurLB Nagar stretch (Metro corridor1) is a disaster waiting to happen. There is a urgent need to prevent and save the city, the watchdog agency warns.

As per the MoU signed between MORTH and Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) on October 18 this year, 11 flyoversgrade separators will be built on the corridor and they are going devastate the Hyderabad city and HMR authorities have not studied their likely impact on the city at all.

CBPTH convener and social scientist C Ramachandraiah, National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) convener B Ramakrishna Raju and Forum for a Better Hyderabad general secretary OM Debara say that the Metro itself is an elevated corridor for 29 km with 27 stations at 50 to 70 feet above the road on this corridor. It is like a flyover from one end to the other end of the city. Imagine building 11 new flyovers simultaneously along the same road parallel to the metro, they say.

For rail underbridges at Malakpet, a gap of at least 25 to 30 feet has to be maintained between the flyovers and the metro corridor. The new flyovers are proposed to built at JNTU Junction (Kukatpally) which should be extended, (2) Godrej Y Junction (Kukatpally), (3) Sanjeevareddy Nagar, (4) Maitrivanam (Ameerpet), (5) Khairatabad Junction, (6) Moazzamjahi Market, (7) Moosaram Bagh Junction, (8) Gaddiannaram Junction, (9) Dilsukhnagar Junction, (10) Chaitanyapuri Junction and (11) Kothapet Junction.

"Are all these flyovers possible on Hyderabad roads? Imagine the untold hardships the citizens will be subjected to. Can one think of constructing a flyover and a metro rail at Maitrivanam where Metro corridors 1 and 3 will intersect above the road, Khairatabad and Moazzamjahi Market? The MJ Market is a heritage monument. Can it withstand such constructions in its close vicinity?" Ramachandraiah asked.