Hyderabad: "Irrespective of parties and places, development of the entire Hyderabad is the ultimate motto of the Telangana government," minister K.T. Rama Rao said at a high-level meeting on Tuesday.
He listed out the works underway and progress achieved in providing drinking water, power supply, mobility infrastructure, maintaining sanitation, conservation of heritage structures, among others.
Work to reinforce the road network in the Old City is progressing quickly as part of the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP) implemented by the GHMC, and various flyovers and road building projects have been completed. The minister noted that works worth several crores of rupees are in progress, and that maintenance of major roads is going on effectively under the CRMP programme initiated by GHMC.
He claimed that it is challenging to widen roads in the Old City because of its high population density and urged officials to expedite road widening in areas where it requires urgent attention. The state government is prepared to provide funds for the land acquisition for current development projects in the Old City, and that work is progressing quickly on bridges over Musi, foot overbridges, and traffic junctions.
In the last eight years, the Old City's drinking water supply has improved, and more than ₹1,200 crore was spent on the creation of drinking water facilities. In the Old City, more than 2.5 lakh connections were given as part of the free water delivery scheme. The Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and other projects were undertaken in the Old City as part of the HMWS&SB's numerous endeavours to upgrade the sewage water system.
Along with other areas of Hyderabad, the Old City's power supply system improved, and over the past eight years, significant advancements in sanitation management were made thanks to initiatives taken by the GHMC, he said. Tourist destinations including the Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace, Madina, Mecca Masjid, and Salarjung Museum received special attention, he claimed. Around 84 Basthi Dawakhanas were established in the area, along with a number of health programmes offered by the state government, he claimed.
The restoration of Mir Alam Mandi is in the works, and plans for building a six-line cable bridge across the Mir Alam tank are now in the DPR stage.
Meanwhile, AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi thanked the Telangana government for the various programmes it had undertaken for the betterment of the Old City.
