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No Metro move yet in old city Will it or won’t it?
Mired in political controversies and bearing the brunt of the Old City’s ‘design’, much has been discussed about the Metro Rail in this part of the town. Come Sunday, members of Old City Metro Joint Action Committee (Metro JAC) will conduct a mega rally calling for speeding up of works for Old City. Despite the uproar over the Metro here, there seems no possibility of the project becoming a realit
Charminar: Mired in political controversies and bearing the brunt of the Old City’s ‘design’, much has been discussed about the Metro Rail in this part of the town. Come Sunday, members of Old City Metro Joint Action Committee (Metro JAC) will conduct a mega rally calling for speeding up of works for Old City. Despite the uproar over the Metro here, there seems no possibility of the project becoming a reality in Old City.
It’s only a year left for HMRL’s contract to end. Time is running out for the construction of Metro to begin in the Old City, let alone its completion. Even as political parties joined hands to bring the rail to this part of the town, the question remains, ‘Will the Metro chug in the Old City or not?’
It is to be noted that the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL) contract for construction of Metro Rail would be ending in December 2018. Any furtherance in the same may involve financial and other logistics. Hence, authorities are working on war foot to complete the routes in the city.
In the matter of Old City, the proposed route from JBS to Falaknuma passing through core areas here has been biting the dust ever since objections were raised over its viability in multiple aspects. Earlier, locals and political parties opposed this route and the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL) authorities proposed an alternative design.
However, this, too was thrown to cold storage after deliberations with stake holders failed.
The primary objections over the routes involved religious structures that could come in the way of Metro Rail besides private properties. Meanwhile, HMRL authorities shifted their focus on other routes and completed one phase launching a 30-km stretch for the public that connects Miyapur and Nagole.
After seeing an overwhelming response to the Metro Rail after its inauguration on November 28, Old City politicians and other stakeholders started a campaign for the same in the Darulshafa-Shah Ali Band and Falaknuma route. One after the other, social groups, local organisations and others jumped into the issue and raised their voice.
Noted Waqf activist Osman Al Hajri however, said that he has been raising this issue for a long time. “The Metro Rail would have given a good business to the rather dull areas in Old City but because of a political party it was delayed,” he alleged.
Earlier, the proposed stretch of Metro Rail was about 72 km however, due to halt in the works on Old City it was confined to only 66 km. It is to be noted that local political parties proposed an alternative 7km route for the Metro in Old City, which, according to HMRL authorities, could lead to increase in cost by Rs 600 to Rs 700 crore. So far, over Rs 14,000 core has been spent on the project overall.
Meanwhile, Old City Metro Rail JAC leaders started their programmes for the purpose. They claimed that many property owners had given their consent for the Metro and agreed to give their properties.
By Mohammed Younus
