Metro roll-out to take more time

Hyderabad: Work on the Metro Rail work from Mettuguda to the Secunderabad railway overbridge at Alugaddabavi is expected to take months to complete. Work has just begun to lay pillar from Sangeet theatre crossroads to Padma Hamsa Apartments. This large gap will make it very difficult for Metro Rail to launch the Phase 1 from Nagole to Secunderabad in the next few months.

IT minister K.T. Rama Rao had announced in December last that Metro Rail operations will be launched in the first half of 2016. In Stage 3, from Mettuguda to Begumpet, only 256 of the total 306 pillars have been laid. In Stage 4, from Begumpet to Shilparamam, 34 per cent of the work is incomplete; of the 430 pillars, only 284 have been laid.

A total of 2,500 pillars are to be laid along the entire 74 km route of the Metro Rail, apart from related works and completion of stations. Of this, 1,850 pillars have been completed covering 50 km; 41 km of viaducts have been laid. The pending work on 650 pillars, 33 km of viaducts and many stations is proving to be the critical “end-stage” challenge.

In their recent meeting of government departments, Hyderabad Metro Rail officials pointed out that 40 properties remained to be acquired which was holding up the work. The most critical are the properties at Secundera-bad which include 612.88 square yards of Iskon land near St John’s Rotary and the front portion of Padma Hamsa Apart-ments on Sardar Patel Road.

Mr Nand Kishore of the Padma Hamsa apartments said, “HMR was to specify the area that is required. That has not been done. The  residents are suffering. The A and B blocks have 41 flats and there are no tenants left in the building, only the owners are staying there.”

HMR managing director N.V.S. Reddy said, “The property is in the final notice period and it will be sorted out soon.” This apart, there are 30 private properties in Yousufguda and Mahduranagar and the issue of Tanstroy building on Road No 5 needs to be settled. A senior L& T officer said, “As the right of way is given in bits and parts, men and machines have to be moved accordingly. There are gaps at Ameerpet, Yousufguda and Tran-story building at Jubliee Hills..”

Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma said, “There are two major critical blockages. Their clearance has been an issue due to legal and humanitarian factors and it is being worked upon. At the same time, we want L&T to speed up the process and clear the carriageway as it is creating traffic issues. Speeding up the works is important.”