Metro connectivity to Hyderabad Airport mooted through Old City

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday directed Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL) to plan Metro connectivity to Shamshabad Airport from MGBS via the old city and also from L.B. Nagar.

He directed that the Airport Metro plan of the earlier government from Raidurg to Shamshabad Airport (31 km; Rs 6,250 crore) shall be kept on hold as already a very wide Outer Ring Road (ORR) is available.

Instead, Airport Metro connectivity should 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 Metro stations, he said.

At a meeting, the Chief Minister thoroughly reviewed Phase-II of the Hyderabad Metro Rail.

After a detailed presentation by HMRL MD N.V.S. Reddy, Revanth Reddy directed him that the expansion proposals should cater to major parts of the city and serve a maximum number of commuters.

He asked the MD to refine Phase-II proposals in coordination with the Commissioner, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and quickly get the traffic studies and DPRs done for the revised Airport Metro alignment. He also wanted him to examine the feasibility of laying a part of the Metro in Laxmiguda-Jalpally-Mamidipally stretch ‘At Grade’ (road level) in the new alignment, since a 40 feet wide central median without any obstructions is available in this stretch. This can reduce the cost of Metro Rail construction.

He also asked the officials to identify the large extents of government land available along this stretch to undertake Transit Oriented Development, which can contribute to part funding of the Airport Metro project as well as encourage development of the old city and its surroundings.

He opined that the new alignment will result in shorter distance and saving in cost, apart from catering to several parts of the city.

The CM has also directed MD, HMRL to prepare extensions of the existing Metro corridors to nearby destinations to facilitate growth of the city in all directions.

The proposals include Miyapur-Chandanagar-BHEL-Patancheruvu (14 km), MGBS-Falaknuma-Chandrayanagutta-Mailardevpalli-P7 Road-Airport (23 km), Nagole-LBNagar-Owaisi Hospital- Chandrayanagutta-Mailardevepalli-Aramgarh-New High Court site at Rajendranagar (19 km), extension of Corridor-III from Raidurg station to Financial District (Wipro lake Jn/American consulate) via Biodiversity Jn, IIIT Jn and ISB road (12 km) and LB Nagar-Vansathalipuram-Hayatnagar (8 km).

On the proposal of HMRL to widen the road from Darulshifa Junction to Shalibanda Junction in the Old city Metro Rail stretch, the Chief Minister desired that the feasibility of widening the road from Darulshifa Junction upto Falaknuma Junction to 100 feet shall be examined, in consultation with the public representatives of the old city.

He was of the opinion that this will open up the old city for rapid development on a par with the other parts of the city. However, he desired that during road widening and Metro Rail planning, none of the identified 103 religious, heritage and other sensitive structures in Old city shall be adversely impacted. If required, he will personally inspect and also involve the public representatives of the Old city in this endeavour.