HYDERABAD: Just two months after inaugurating a separate coach for ladies in the Metro Rail, the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL), on Friday, gave a glimpse of the sidewalks that will be developed through the metro corridor in the days to come. The 5-km stretch from Jubilee Check post to Cyber towers is being developed as the 'High Street', a designer side walk, a uniform carriage way of 3 to 4 lanes, while removing illegal structures and buildings.
The area of the High Street is 2.56 lakh sq feet, while the width of the pavement varies between 8 and 22 feet through the stretch, with multiple entry and exit points to shopping complexes and residences. This is being taken up with a budget of Rs 5 crore, which the HMRL aims to recover by giving the space, wherever they can be accommodated, to vendors and also through advertisements. The pavements are exclusively for walkers and boards have been set up to prevent people from using them as parking spaces.
Bus bays, auto bays, e-vehicle bays, parking are also being systematically added in consultation with the TSRTC, Hyderabad Traffic Police and GHMC. Saucer drains have been created in the newly constructed pavements, which are connected to storm water drains, which will prevent water clogging and stagnation during the monsoon. "This has worked out well after the recent rains in the city.
The plan is to develop similar kind of walkways through the metro corridor. We will see how it can be chalked out and develop it accordingly," said NVS Reddy MD, HMRL. The stretch, where some part of it has been completed and other bits are yet to begin, has been erected with ornamental plants. Safety railings have also been set up. "It is a work in progress and it is going to take time as the process requires multiple permissions, along with physical challenges like growing traffic, uneven terrain etc," Reddy told Express.