Metro expansion chugs at quick pace
Hyderabad: The proposed metro project for the Medchal and Shamirpet corridors is advancing, with survey activities such as traffic assessments, soil testing (geotechnical investigation), and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) progressing at full speed.
According to the Hyderabad metro officials, various survey and other investigation works required for the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for JBS to Medchal (24 km) and JBS to Shamirpet (21 km) metro rail corridors are progressing at a fast pace. The three major studies are essential for DPR preparation which includes traffic surveys, soil testing (geotechnical investigation) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The DPRs for these three metro routes, including the Shamshabad Airport-Future City route, will be submitted to the State government by the end of March. After obtaining State government’s approval, the DPRs will be forwarded to the Central government for further clearance.
“Traffic surveys are analysing various factors, including current daily travel counts, future travel projections, junction turning movements, pedestrian footfall, vehicle travel times, expected commuter shift to Metro Rail, and passenger density at proposed metro stations,” said NVS Reddy, managing director, Hyderabad Metro Rail.
“The EIA study will examine the air quality, particulate matter levels in the air, sources of air and noise pollution, water resources, biodiversity (flora and fauna), and the impact of the project on local livelihoods,” he added.
Regarding soil testing, a senior officer said that the study would include a detailed investigation of soil and subsoil conditions, an assessment of the load-bearing capacity of the soil strata, groundwater levels, and seismic risk analysis. Based on this data, the metro pillars, stations, and other structures will be designed to ensure their strength and stability. Typically, a borehole is drilled every half kilometre as part of soil testing, with each borehole being drilled to a depth of about 50 to 100 feet to evaluate soil and rock conditions. Since HMDA and the national highways authority have already conducted some soil studies, metro authorities are now conducting soil tests at 25 locations in the JBS-Medchal route and 19 locations in the JBS-Shamirpet route. Of these, 14 tests in the Medchal route and 11 in the Shamirpet route have been completed, and all soil tests will be concluded by the end of this month.