Telangana initiates land acquisition activities for 31-km Hyderabad Airport Metro Corridor

Hyderabad, India (Metro Rail Today): In a decisive move towards enhancing the city's transportation infrastructure, Minister K.T. Rama Rao has directed concerned government bodies to promptly transfer identified properties to Hyderabad Airport Metro Ltd. This directive aims to facilitate the immediate commencement of construction activities for the eagerly awaited Metro line.

During a high-level review meeting held at the Metro Rail Bhavan, Minister Rama Rao joined Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and Metro Rail MD N.V.S. Reddy in discussing critical strategies. Notably, the minister also advised GMR's airport authorities to relinquish 48 acres of land to establish a Metro Rail depot.

The meeting saw N.V.S. Reddy deliver a comprehensive presentation on the project, following which Rama Rao urged the initiation of surveys for the newly sanctioned Metro corridors. These surveys will lay the groundwork for preliminary and detailed project reports, ultimately aimed at securing approval from the central government.

The minister emphasized the importance of exploring diverse funding models for the upcoming Metro projects. This call was directed towards special chief secretary (finance) K. Ramakrishna Rao and MA&UD special chief secretary Arvind Kumar.

Rama Rao's vision for improved urban transit further extended to the identification of vacant land near existing and proposed Metro stations. He directed the collectors of Hyderabad, Medchal, and Sangareddy to pinpoint suitable plots for developing multi-level car parks.

The rapid expansion of the Metro system aligns with the city's growing population and the influx of international brands. Addressing traffic concerns, the state government considers Metro expansion as a key strategy to alleviate congestion on city roads.

The minister articulated his approach, stating, "Through the introduction of additional coaches, enhancements in feeder services, and the development of better footpaths, we can double the current Metro ridership of 500,000 per day, effectively mitigating vehicular congestion."

Rama Rao's proactive stance extended to discussions with Santhi Kumari, where he stressed the importance of periodic coordination meetings. This effort is aimed at ensuring the swift execution of the Airport Metro project and advocating for the approval of the ₹9,100-crore BHEL-Lakdikapul and Nagole-LB Nagar expansion projects in collaboration with the central government.

In a separate meeting with Akbaruddin Owaisi, Minister Rama Rao urged the acceleration of land acquisition processes in the Old City corridor. This initiative seeks to enhance connectivity to Falaknuma.

The efforts also include plans to extend the Metro's reach by connecting the Airport Metro line with Falaknuma and establishing a line from LB Nagar to Falaknuma via Owaisi Hospital.

Among other developments, responding to Akbaruddin Owaisi's representation, the Telangana government will establish an Electronic Park-cum-Hub at Pahadishareef on 50 acres of Wakf Board land. The foundation stone for this project, along with two hanging bridges at Salar Jung Museum, will be laid soon, benefitting hawkers in the Old City region.

For more details, please explore Hyderabad Metro page at Metro Rail Today