HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is set to lay the foundation stone for the Old City Metro Rail project in Farooq Nagar of Falaknuma on March 8.
The Phase-I Metro Rail works on the 5.5-km-long stretch from MGBS (Imlibun bus station) to Falaknuma of Corridor-II Green Line Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) was not taken up earlier. After the formation of the new government, the chief minister turned his attention to the Old City Metro project and directed the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) officials to take it up on priority.
HMRL managing director NVS Reddy said the alignment will pass through Darulshifa, Puranihaveli, Etebar Chowk, Alijakotla, Mir Momin Daira, Haribowli, Shalibanda, Shamsheergunj and Aliabad before ending at the Falaknuma Metro Rail station as originally planned. There will be four stations: Salarjung Museum, Charminar, Shalibanda and Falaknuma.
He explained that although the alignment and stations are approximately 500 metres away from the monuments, two stations are named after the Salarjung Museum and Charminar due to their historical significance.
Around 1,100 properties will be affected by road widening up to 100 feet as per the master plan and up to 120 feet at the station locations. The project is estimated to cost about Rs 2,000 crore, including road widening and shifting of utilities, NVS Reddy said..
Additionally, he said that, as per the chief minister’s directive, engineering solutions are being devised to ensure that no religious or heritage structure is affected in this stretch, either in road widening or in Metro Rail construction.
The line will be extended by another 1.5 km from Falaknuma to Chandrayangutta, which will be developed as a major interchange station on the newly planned Airport line of Nagole - L B Nagar - Chandrayangutta - Mailardevpally - P7 Road - Shamshabad Airport.