Telangana: 19 things to look forward to in 2019

12 skyways in 2019 
As many as 12 skyways and grade separators will take shape in 2019 under the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP). The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has set a target to complete the Durgam Cheruvu cable stayed bridge by March. The long-pending flyover work at Amberpet 6 No and the controversial KBR stretch will be grounded. Predominantly, IT corridors would get relief with the completion of skyways at Bio-Diversity junction and Rajiv Gandhi statue, and JNTU in Kukatpally. In addition to this, the Roads and Buildings Department is constructing elevated corridors in Uppal, 6 Number junction and Shamshabad airport road to facilitate free flow of traffic.

First Night Safari to open 
If everything goes according to plan, the first night safari park will open in 125 acres in Kothwalguda. A team of experts who designed the night safari park in Singapore inspected the proposed venue at Kothwalguda on Monday and gave its approval. The safari park will also hold shows of traditional tribal dances and other performances that exhibit the culture of Telangana.

Electric buses to hit roads 
These are to finally hit the roads in 2019 according to the Road Transport Corporation as the charging stations are being readied. Railway connectivity to Medak and Karimnagar: Extension of the railways to two main districts of Medak and Karimnagar will be ready by the end of March 2019. Apart from boosting transport facilities to these regions, it will enhance tourism and inter district trade relations.

Friendly policing
Citizen-friendly policing to be more effective in the state with police personnel reaching out to the public to deliver better services. A feedback mechanism will be provided to assess the quality of service so as to improve it.

High-tech traffic system
Traffic management will go more high-tech. As part of Integrated Traffic Management System, the evidence based ticketing system, or e-challan will be implemented across the state in all police stations. 

Electronic summons
Another step towards preventive policing is the complete integration of courts, police department, jails, the forensic department and the Finger Print Bureau in the state for effective policing. Electronic delivery of summons and warrants through smartphones will be seen this year in Hyderabad.

Boost to e-surveillance 
The entire state to go under electronic surveillance in another three years with installation of about 15 lakh cameras, including 10 lakh cameras in areas under the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates that cover about five districts.

Forest cover to rise
The forest department is about to come up with its plans for better wildlife and forest protection. The forest department will create water sources in every two sq km grid for wild animals. The forest department is also taking new steps to control forest fires. The first forest department is planning to add about 22 lakh acres of land to its bank, which was illegally occupied. The forest department is taking steps to make tigers resident at Kawal tiger reserve. About 1,858 forest beat officers, 90 section officers and 60 range officers will take charge will be appointed this year.

Mass health screenings
After the successful screening of eyes in Telangana state, the government is gearing up for screening of ear and dental infections. The health department is preparing a master plan for the screening programme. Screenings for other health problems will be carried out to determine the health profile of the state.

Telangana High Court 
With the formation of the High Court for the state of Telangana, advocates and employees are expecting more filling up of many vacant posts which would result in the speedy disposal of cases. More than one lakh cases are pending currently in the court.

Metro to Hitec city 
The much wanted connectivity to Hitec City via Metro Rail will indeed be a boost for the city. With more than 2 lakh people using the Metro train services the extension to Hitec will see the much wanted decongestion on  city roads.

Mission Bhagiratha 
It was launched in August 2016. It is Telangana’s ambitious project to supply drinking water to every household outside municipal corporation limits. As the project nears its deadline on March 31, 2019, government officials say that 1,00,200 km of the 1,04,749 km network of pipelines 1 which is around two-and-a-half times the Earth’s circumference has been laid. The project is also aimed at resolving a serious health crisis in Nalgonda and Medak districts, where much of the groundwater is contaminated by fluoride.

Kaleshwaram project: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a marathon review of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme’s progress last week, set March 2019 as the deadline for its completion. The pace of work has been stepped up and work is being done in shifts. Officials claimed that 96.41 per cent of the works on the barrage were completed so far. L&T which has been executing the Medigadda barrage work has been laying an average 5,000 to 6,000 cubic metres of concrete a day. About 76.71 per cent of the work on the flood banks has been completed. So far as the execution of earthworks is concerned, 96 per cent has been completed on the Medigadda project as against 100 per cent on the Annaram project and 98 per cent on Sundilla project. 

Water for city 
Works pertaining to 10 tmc ft reservoir construction at Keshavapuram would be grounded in 2019. The Water Board has completed the tender process and initiated the land acquisition process. The Water Board requires 1,585 acres of government land, 1,235 acres of forest land, 185 acres of endowments land, 335 acres of government assigned land and 555 acres from private persons. The project which had run at snail’s pace is likely to see brisk progress in 2019.

200 check dams
2019 will see the completion of 200 check dams. The Roads & Buildings Department is constructing 200 check dams with potential for storing 18,695 lakh litres of water.  The project will incur very little additional expenditure as part of constructing bridges across various streams and rivulets across Telangana. As part of a Rs 18,000 crore project for strengthening, widening and laying roads, the government identified 532 bridges where such check dams could be constructed. 

Cheaper film tickets
The Telugu film industry is bringing in the New Year with good news as the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies from January 1 onwards providing big relief. The GST Council reduced the tax rate to 12 per cent from 18 per cent on tickets below Rs 100 and from 28 per cent to 18 per cent above Rs 100. The producers and distributors will also pay lesser amount of tax and with this new tax, the industry will benefit.

Tech and teachers
Initiatives to make teachers better equipped in terms of technology and also insisting that they work more professionally will be stressed.

Stiff target to officials 
Make Telangana the first state where every house receives filtered drinking water through an individual connection in the kitchen or outside, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said. He came back to power this month.

 — Kaniza Garari, Althuru Kiran Reddy, Maddy Deekshith, Jayendra  Chaitanya, Rajeswari Parasa