HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding protests from a cross section of traders against the ongoing Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) works, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is going ahead with its own plans.
At a review meeting with Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, B Sam Bob, on Tuesday evening, GHMC Commissioner MT Krishna Babu said road widening had almost been completed on the MJ Market-Putlibowli stretch of corridor-I and that the GHMC would now focus on Putlibowli-Ranga Mahal stretch.
The Putlibowli-Ranga Mahal stretch has a number of kirana shops, bakeries and textiles and all of them are set to be removed or at least a part of them.
The GHMC Commissioner said road widening from Musheerabad to RTC X roads was also picking up speed and that land acquisition notices will soon be issued to the affected properties on the Ameerpet-Yousufguda-Madhura Nagar-Krishna Nagar-Road No 5 of Jubilee Hills stretch of corridor-III. Regarding payment of compensation to the displaced, he said funds were being regularly released by the government to the GHMC.
He also mentioned that all the advertisement boards in the central median will be removed in Nagole-Mettuguda and Miyapur-Ameerpet stretches. He indicated that the newly-erected poles will be charged in the next few days and central lighting poles will be removed so as to let L&T barricade eight meters of central median portion of the road for laying foundation and constructing metro rail piers.
Sam Bob advised the GHMC Commissioner to expedite road widening as per the priorities indicated by the HMR and also advised Hyderabad District Collector N Gulzar to speed up acquisition of properties for which compensation amount was deposited in the City Civil Court.
HMR Managing Director NVS Reddy briefed him on the progress of works on priority stretches between Nagole-Mettuguda (8 km) of corridor-III and Miyapur-Ameerpet stretch (12 km) of corridor-I. He informed that the GHMC has erected side street light poles between Nagole and Mettuguda.
For the power requirement of Uppal metro rail depot, a new 220 kv sub-station will have to be set up by APTransco. A 5-acre plot at Uppal depot was handed over to the APTransco free of cost for this purpose. Sam Bob advised the APCPDCL authorities to expedite replacement of three 11 kv and five 33 kv overhead electrical lines with underground cabling in Nagole-Mettuguda and Miyapur-Punjagutta stretches.
Sam Bob also directed the Metro Water Board to expeditiously re-route the water supply line which is going through Uppal metro rail depot land to the new road being laid by HMR along the Hyderabad nala to facilitate the metro rail depot works.