Work on the Rs 14,132 crore Hyderabad metro rail project has gathered pace with the Telangana Government keen on commissioning one of the longest networks, a stretch of 30 km, at one go during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hyderabad in November.
While a stretch of 8 km and another one of 11 km were ready for commissioning and had secured various mandatory approvals, few months ago, the Government has decided to launch the project connecting two completed stretches across two lines with a total distance of 30 km.
State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has requested Prime Minister to launch the project when he visits Hyderabad to take part in a Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held here in November.
The concessionaire and construction major, L&T has been implementing the project, a 72 km long elevated metro corridor, connecting three dense corridors, under the public private partnership mode. The project is being considered as the largest such PPP metro project taken up in the world.
While the project was to be completed by July 2017, it had to face some hurdles, including land acquisition in some segments and right of way in some places. It has been given one year extension to complete the project.
Some of the crucial and complex rail over bridge links, interconnect stations, and smaller links are now being executed.
NVS Reddy, Managing Director of Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited, has said, “With the Chief Minister directing completion of the 13 km stretch between Miyapur and Ameerpet on Corridor I and Nagole to Ameerpet, a stretch of 17 km on Corridor III by November, the focus is on completing these stretches by November.”
The project progress is also being monitored by a team in the Prime Minister's Office, which tracks the development of mega projects in the country.
Reddy called upon the engineers to work round the clock to ensure that the 30 km stretch, one of the longest to be inaugurated at one go, is ready.
Sources executing the project requesting anonymity stated that it is race against time as the deadline is stiff given the critical links on railway lines, and some interconnect stations are in the process of being completed. Two of the such installations are now under execution the Secunderabad station junction, where a massive rail over bridge is being installed and another at an interconnect where two rail lines meet at Ameerpet.
L&T has also simultaneously taken up transit oriented development at several locations. These are at advanced stage of completion.
To ensure the project gets ready for commissioning by November 2017, KT Rama Rao, Municipal Administration an Urban Development Minister, has been asked to closely monitor the project progress.