Oh! For another Musi bridge

Hyderabad: Residents of more than 50 colonies in Ramanthapur are demanding that a bridge be constructed over the Musi river to connect the area and Dilsukhnagar, which will cut down the travel distance from the existing 8 to 10 km to 2 km.

“Dilsukhnagar lies close to Ramanthapur, Habsiguda and Amberpet, but the residents have to take a roundabout route to reach the area via Nagole and Kothapet, a distance of 10 km. If a bridge is built over the Musi to connect Dilsukhnagar, the distance will be cut down to 2 km, and fuel and time will be saved and pollution reduced.

Moreover, the traffic burden on the Nagole route will be reduced,” said Erram Srinivas of the Greater Hyderabad Residents Forum. Commuters from Habsiguda, ECIL X Roads and Nacharam could reach Dilsukhnagar easily if the bridge is built, he added.

GHRF representatives also called for a concrete road linking the Metro Rail station at Nagole to Ramanthapur to ease traffic along the route, which is expected to get worse when the Metro service begins in early 2015.

A. Venkatesh of the Federation of Association of Colonies and Apartments (FACA) said, “At present, from the Metro Rail station to Ramreddynagar, there is a kuccha road. The road between the sewerage treatment plant and Ali Café in Ramanthapur needs to be widened to avoid traffic chaos when the station is ready."

MLC K. Nageshwar Rao said, “Laying the bridge to connect Ramanthapur and Dilsukhnagar has been a long pending demand of the public. It needs to be addressed. I will raise this issue in the Assembly and I will also discuss it with HMDA and GHMC authorities.”

R. Dhansingh, engineer-in-chief, GHMC, said the bridge was identified as a requirement by a civic committee a few years ago, but there has been no further development. “The area needs more examination, and the proposal should come from higher authorities,” he said.