The Deccan Chronicle 24.11.2010
Metro to hit 3,000 properties in cityNov. 23: Hyderabadis have to bear the brunt of another round of road-widening as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is gearing up to take over and demolish properties on three high traffic density corridors in the city to make way for the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR).
In phase-I alone, as many as 1,147 private properties will be affected within an accumulated stretch of 10 kilometres.
The GHMC officials along with the Metro Rail authorities have jointly identified these properties on Jam Bagh road (part of Metro Rail corridor-I), Chikkadpally to Koti (corridor-II) and Madhuranagar, Yousufguda and Jubilee Hills Road No. 5 (corridor-III).
The civic body has prepared estimations and informed HMR authorities that nearly `300 crore would be required for widening roads, demolition of properties and towards payments for structural compensation to the owners of the affected properties.
The metro rail authorities have agreed to release `61 crore in the first phase and the remaining amount in subsequent phases. The GHMC has thus started serving notices to the owners and first round of negotiations have begun.
When contacted, the HMR managing director, Mr N.V.S. Reddy, confirmed that roads on three Metro Rail corridors would have to be widened up to 100 feet. “There are certain stretches on these three corridors where the road narrows down to less than 60 feet,” he said.
The elevated structure of the Metro Rail will run on three corridors from Miyapur to L.B. Nagar (29.8 km), Jubilee Bus Station to Falaknuma (14.7 km) and Nagole to Shilparamam (26.5 km).
The GHMC chief city planner, Mr G.V. Raghu, said over 3,000 properties, private and government, a large number of electrical poles, water and sewerage lines and cables would also be affected.
The officials said that the roads needed to be widened as the elevated structure of the Metro Rail would be constructed on the middle of the roads. Sufficient carriage way thus needed to be created for other road users on either side of the structure. The compensation amount towards properties being affected and shifting of public utilities alone will cost over Rs 2,000 crore.
Also, nearly 6,000 trees on the three corridors will have to be removed. The HMR authorities have agreed to bear the cost towards transplantation of the trees. Transplantation of each tree will cost anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 depending on the size, age and species of the tree.
The HMR authorities said the ground works for construction of the elevated Metro rail structure is likely to commence in March next year although works like soil testing have already started.
