The Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP) proposed by the Telangana government for free movement of traffic on Greater Hyderabad roads has been in news more for wrong than right reasons, owing to the controversy and court cases about tree felling near KBR National Park.
However, of the other four of the five packages under Phase-I of the project, only two have got off to a start, while two more, along with Package-I near KBR park, have hit a roadblock due to various reasons.
While the final judgement has been delivered by the National Green Tribunal pertaining to the case, the work under Package-I would only proceed after getting a nod from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF).
Grade separators
The Package-I includes construction of multi-level flyovers and grade separators at six junctions, including widening and strengthening of the existing road around the KBR Park. For this, the MoEF&CC has to demarcate the eco-sensitive zone boundaries around the KBR park which would take at least six months. For Package-III under which flyovers or grade separators are to be constructed at Uppal and Rasoolpura junctions, no agency has shown interest in filing the bids, even after the same were invited.
Officials informed that the Survey of India had refused to part with 20 acres of land for the project, citing reservations about the extent. The issue was being sorted out by cutting down the extent to one acre, by revising the design. At Rasoolpura, however, the issue is of bigger proportion, as permission for 1.62 acres of land in the possession of Directorate of Coordination, Police Wireless, has to be obtained from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The issue has been addressed to the ministry and its response was awaited, informed the Chief Engineer (Projects), GHMC, E. Sreedhar.
The Package-V for construction of multi-level flyovers and grade separators near Owaisi Hospital junction and Bahadurpura junction too has encountered a hurdle, even as the work has been contracted out.
The construction was objected to by the Owaisi Hospital while legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi has asked for a review of the proposal in favour of alternative options.
Accordingly, revised proposals for construction of underpasses in place of flyovers have been prepared and Mr. Owaisi’s approval of the same has been awaited. At Bahadurpura, however, land and property acquisition was under way.
Work has been launched only for Package-II for construction of flyovers and grade separators at L.B. Nagar and its surrounding areas, and Package IV for the same at four junctions— Biodiversity Junction, Mind Space Junction, Ayyappa Society and Rajiv Gandhi Statue junction, Mr. Sreedhar said.
The SRDP is proposed to be implemented in four phases, which include, apart from multi-level flyovers and grade separators, construction of elevated corridors, cable stayed bridges, and skyways.
