Govt moots new Metro Rail phase II & III in Hyd

• Govt already decided to alter the Airport Metro proposal; CM proposes Metro Rail connectivity from airport area to Kandukur on the Srisailam highway where a mega township will also be created on lands already acquired for the Pharma city
• CM wants Metro phase III plans to cover expansion from JBS Metro station to Shameerpet and from Paradise to Kandlakoya/Medchal
• Revanth reviews phase II; wants feasibility of widening road from Darulshifa Junction up to Falaknuma junction (100 ft) in consultation with the public representatives of the Old City
• Suggests during road widening and Metro Rail planning, none of identified 103 religious, heritage and other sensitive structures in Old City should be adversely impacted. If required, he will personally inspect and involve the public representatives in this endeavour

Hyderabad: The State Government has come up with new proposals for phase II and phase III of the Metro Rail project and expansion of the long pending Metro connectivity in the Old City.

While the government already decided to alter the Airport Metro proposal, the Chief minister has proposed Metro Rail connectivity from the airport area to Kandukur on the Srisailam highway where a mega township will also be created on lands already acquired for the Pharma city. The CM wanted the Metro phase III plans would cover expansion from JBS Metro station to Shameerpet and from Paradise Metro station to Kandlakoya/Medchal.

The CM thoroughly reviewed the phase II Hyderabad Metro Rail proposals on Tuesday. He said feasibility of widening the road from Darulshifa Junction up to Falaknuma junction (100 ft) would be examined, in consultation with the public representatives of the Old City. The CM is of the opinion that this will open up the Old City for rapid development on a par with the other parts of the city. He suggested during road widening and Metro Rail planning, none of the identified 103 religious, heritage and other sensitive structures in Old City should be adversely impacted. If required, he will personally inspect and involve the public representatives in this endeavour, Reddy said.

The CM directed that the earlier Airport Metro plan from Raidurg to Shamshabad (31 km; Rs.6,250 cr) would be kept on hold as already a very wide ORR is available. Instead, the Airport Metro connectivity would be planned from MGBS via the Old City and from LB Nagar, duly bridging the remaining gap of 5 km from Nagole to LB Nagar stations. The HMRL MD was asked to get the traffic studies and DPRs done for the revised Airport Metro alignment via the Old City and from LB Nagar.

Reddy asked HMRL to examine feasibility of laying a part of the Metro in Laxmiguda-Jalpally-Mamidipally stretch ‘At Grade’ (road level) in the new alignment, since a 40-ft-wide central median without any obstructions is available in the stretch. The HMRL MD and HMDA commissioner were asked to quickly prepare these plans in an integrated manner and draft a letter from him to Union Minister for Urban Development and Housing Hardeep Singh Puri in the next few days. He instructed HMRL to incorporate Metro Rail in the Musi river front East-West corridor from Taramatipet to Narsingi via Nagole and MGBS (40 km).