The much-awaited bio-diversity conference is well underway but some of the works proposed for the same aren’t still! One such stalled plan is that of signages which was drawn up with an estimated budget of almost Rs one crore. Till date, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been able to install only five signages between Tolichowki-Shaikpet and Gachibowli-Hitex.
GHMC engineer-in-chief R Dhan Singh confirmed it and said, “Seven more signages will be installed soon at various other places. The consignment which will come from Delhi will be fixed in few days.” While admitting that the works were delayed, he expressed confidence that they will be finished soon in the corridors that lead to the conference venue.
The rest of the city too will get signages in the second phase of the project. “The directions are not just for CoP-11, but also for the benefit of everyday commuters,” Singh noted.
When asked why the delay, he cited a court case that led to a delay of one month and also explained that the boards had to be prepared as per the guidelines of the Indian Roads Congress.
However, an official on condition of anonymity explained that apart from quality problems with one of the contractors, other issues have stalled the works. “Of the three contractors, just one from Delhi has begun works. The other one who bagged two contracts is yet to get going,” he said. The official admitted that the entire work may not be completed before CoP 11 ends but blamed the late release of funds for the inordinate delay in execution of the project. So, foreigners who have come to the city for the conference will have to depend on maps to a large extent to navigate through the city.