Hyderabad to get its first solar roof-topped cycle track

Hyderabad: A long cherished dream has come true as the Telangana government is all set to kickstart the construction of first-of-its-kind cycle track at Outer Ring Road.

Minister for Industries and Commerce KT Rama Rao will lay the foundation stone for a cycle track along the Service Road of the Outer Ring Road between Main Carriage Way (MCW) and City Side Service Road on September 6.

Special Chief Secretary of Urban Development department Arvind Kumar tweeted the details of the project on Monday.

With a length of 23 km and a width of 4.5 m with 1 m of green space on either side, the eco-friendly cycle track will be powered by a solar roof. The 8.5-kilometer first stretch extends from Nanakramguda to TSPA. The other stretch of 14.5 km connects Narsingi to Kollur km.

A crash barrier is also provided on the Service Roadside for safety purposes. The work is taken up by Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL).

Out of the 23 km length of the cycle track, 21 km will be covered with a solar roof with an installed capacity of 16 MW. As per the project plan, it is proposed to implement the solar project by the RESCO model where a RESCO (a renewable energy service company) operator will invest the total initial capital expenditure of solar panels and also maintain the project for about 25 years and supply power at a discounted price.

A team of officials from HMDA and HGCL visited South Korea and studied the cycle track project between Daejon and Sejong. The proposed cycle track is the improvised version of

South Korean model with better aesthetics which provides more facilities like lighting, protection from rain, parking, and other wayside amenities like food stalls, etc.

Also, the cycle track can be used 24*7 as a lighting facility is provided.