Metro Rail project all set to take off

Hyderabad: The much-awaited and controversial Hyderabad Metro Rail project is on track and foundation for the first phase works will be laid by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on February 4.

The metro rail project was envisaged with the intention of providing a comfortable and efficient public transportation system as the present traffic scenario in the city is a matter of concern.

Thanks to the rapid urbanization and the lack of an effective public transportation system, there has been a phenomenal increase in the number of private vehicles.

With roads not keeping up to take the pressure of more vehicles, there are frequent traffic snarls. Morever, the high pollution levels in the city have also risen dramatically.

As per the blueprint, the three corridors spanning a length of approximately 71.16 km to be taken up in phase-I are Miyapur - LB Nagar stretching 28.87km with 27 stations, JBS - Falaknuma covering 14.78 km with 16 stations and Nagole - Shilparamam of 27.51 km with 23 stations.

The proposed project will be a completely elevated system, generally run in the central median of the road.

The stations will be located at an average interval of 1 km - elevated stations with passenger access through staircases, escalators and lifts.

The proposed project has been mired in a series of controversies right from the beginning. The MAYTAS, which had originally bagged the contract during late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's regime, landed in financial crisis.

Later, L&T was awarded the contract to complete the project following state government's probe into awarding contract to bankrupt MAYTAS.

The issue of land acquisition also posed a problem as the traders in Koti area raised their voice against the demolitions on the grounds that it would spoil the means of livelihoods of poor and small traders. Later the protest even took political overtones.

However, hitches obstructing the project were cleared by state government, L&T expedited works to complete first phase works within two years. The project will be taken up at an outlay of Rs 14,132 crores with public private partnership mode.

A total of Rs 12,614 crores will be spent by L&T Company. At present, excavation works are on in full swing at Nagole, Uppal, Habsiguda, Tarnaka and Mettuguda.

Besides, works to set up a depot over 100 acres of land at Uppal are going on expected lines. The HMR Managing Director N V S Reddy hoped that the first phase works would be finished by 2014.

'With a frequency of three to five minutes during peak hours, the system is expected to carry about 15 lakh passengers per day by 2016 and 22 lakh by 2024 if the works goes on on expected lines,' he added.

About 3,000 trees that will be cut down for the project. To compensate for the loss to the environment, officials have planned to plant 1 lakh saplings on either side of the road where rail track runs below the ground.

Moreover, skyways will be laid connecting metro rail stations with government offices, business establishments, bus stations and MMTS stations. Hyderabadis will soon have a comfortable and speedy public transport system if project works undertaken on war-footing basis.