HYDERABAD: The grandiose plans of the State government to construct modern automated multi-level parking (MLP) systems at 40 important locations in the city has been put in cold storage for the last three-four years. The MLP project at Nampally, one of the pilot MLP projects for which the foundation stone was laid by former chief secretary SK Joshi in 2018 at Nampally Metro Station, is going on at a snail’s space. It is said to be India’s most sophisticated automated MLP system.
The project was supposed to be completed in a span of nine months, but three years have passed and not even 40 per cent of the work has been completed till date. It will likely take another year or two for the project to be completed.
On the lines of the Nampally MLP, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, which is the nodal agency for the MLPs, had planned to take up 40 MLPs in various parts of the city on Public Private Partnership Project (PPP) mode. Locations were identified for the same, but the project is yet to see the light of day. The proposals for the same had been sent to the government for approval and administrative sanction long ago. However, the government is yet to give its approval.
Apart from Nampally, development of MLPs were planned at Gopalapuram (Secunderabad), Old Gandhi Hospital premises (Secunderabad), Koti, Uppal, Tarnaka, Ameerpet, Pension Office at Khilwat near Laad Bazar, Kukatpally, Paradise, Koti, Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station, Masab Tank, near the regional passport office in Secunderabad and old maternity hospital at Nayapul. MLPs were proposed to be constructed on nalas at the identified places to help Metro travellers and others to park their vehicles in the near future. These spots include nalas near Narayanguda Bridge, SP Road, Kukatpally (near Varun motors), Malakpet, Uppal, Bharatnagar, Khairatabad, Moosapet, etc.
Sources said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevailing for more than a year, not much headway has been made in the construction of MLPs. The Nampally MLP was held up due to Covid and financial difficulties by the agency in implementing the project due to the prevailing dull market.Taking up planned MLPs on PPP mode at this juncture by investors is not feasible as banks may find it difficult to provide loans to the agencies. The HMRL will wait for a few more months till the pandemic is brought under control and then request for proposals.
The Nampally MLP was planned to have an ultra-modern building with prefab technology consisting of 15 floors (including three cellars). Ten floors (65 per cent of the built up area) will be used for parking and five floors (35 per cent of the built up area) will be used for commercial space. It is being developed in a half acre of land (2,000 sq m) belonging to HMRL by the private sector concessionaire with an investment of about `55-60 crore.