Common underground duct mooted along three Metro Rail corridors

According to municipal commissioner, the common duct will eliminate the need for digging roads for laying pipelines and underground cables on the three corridors.
Common underground duct mooted along three Metro Rail corridors

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, in coordination with the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited and other stakeholders, proposes to have a common utility duct for the major utilities along the three corridors of metro rail.

The metro rail will have three corridors running to a total length of 72 km. Corridor-1: Miyapur to LB Nagar (29 km), Corridor-2: Jubilee Bus Stand to Falaknuma (15 km) and Corridor-3: Nagole to Shilparamam (28 km).

According to municipal commissioner MT Krishna Babu, the common duct will eliminate the need for digging roads for laying pipelines and underground cables on the three corridors. The GHMC has submitted proposals to the HMRL in this regard.

Due to lack of coordination among the government departments and private companies, digging of roads is taking place in the city. ‘’we want to avoid this hassle at least on the three metro rail corridors where works are underway’’ he said.       

When contacted, HMRL managing sirector NVS Reddy said that they received the proposals from the GHMC. ‘’It is too early to say anything on the matter since the proposals are only in the conceptual stage and we have to discuss it with various stakeholders such as Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (APCPDCL), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL),’’ he said.

If HMR is ready to lay a common underground duct for all the utilities, the GHMC is willing to bear the cost. A GHMC official said that there were many advantages in having a common duct such as maximising the usage of underground space, reducing the costs of maintenance of utilities, minimising above-ground constructions which may disrupt traffic and creating an area for easy access to repairs. Furthermore, protection of the utilities during natural disasters will be easier if they are all placed together in a single duct.

Dangling and criss-crossing electrical and telephone cables is not only an eyesore on the city roads but can also hamper laying of the metro rail lines, the official added.

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