Keerthi Thoranam to be dismantled for road works
HYDERABAD: The welcome gateway — ‘Keerthi Thoranam’ — constructed at Narapally on the Uppal Road towards Warangal Highway by GHMC under the ‘Gateway of Hyderabad’ project to welcome people and tourists to Hyderabad city will be dismantled to make way for road widening.
The civic body constructed the Keerthi Thoranam by incurring an expenditure of `50 lakh just a few years ago but it is now going to be pulled down shortly as the R&B Department proposes road-widening of the stretch.The R&B Department has been constantly requesting the civic body to remove the structure so that the narrow road can be widened for smooth flow of traffic and check traffic snarls.
Presently, it is a four-lane road (2+2 lanes) and it will be widened to six lanes (3+3 lanes) along with footpaths and box drains. Based on the request of the R&B Department, the GHMC has decided to remove the Keerthi Thoranam structure (gateway on Warangal Highway) through private agencies at an estimated cost of Rs 6.50 lakh.
GHMC officials say that the gateway structure needs to be removed for road-widening purposes. However, it will be erected once the road-widening is completed and by extending the structure as per the road width.
The GHMC has proposed to construct structures with different themes at all entry points to beautify city entrances. As against the proposed 14 Gateway to Hyderabad project at the entry points, around four welcome arches have been constructed. On the remaining, there has been no progress so far.
The entry points constructed are at National Industrial Security Academy at Shameerpet, Warangal road, Srisailam road, and Nagarjunasagar road. GHMC planned welcome gateways with varied designs and themes at different locations on the outskirts which are the city’s entry and exit points. The arches are meant to welcome visitors to the city in a unique and heartening way so that when they leave, they take with them pleasant memories of their stay in Hyderabad.