Old City Metro: Hyderabad Metro Rail begins drone survey

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has carried out a drone survey of the metro rail alignment, affected properties, and other sensitive structures in the old city of Hyderabad.

The survey is being conducted on the instructions of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has directed the HMRL to speed up the preparatory works for the metro project in the old city. In July, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced the plans for the metro rail project in Old City in Hyderabad and has announced Rs 500 crore for the project.

HMRL MD, NVS Reddy said, “The drone survey is being conducted to take exact measurements of the affected properties, which are required for road widening in the narrow stretch between Darul-shifa junction and Shalibanda junction. The survey will also help in planning the metro alignment and pillar locations in such a way that there is no adverse effect on the religious and other sensitive structures in the old city.”

He further added, “Protection of about 103 religious and other sensitive structures including 21 masjids, 12 temples, 12 Ashoor Khanas, 33 Dargas, 7 graveyards and 6 chillas is a major challenge for metro construction here.”

The drone survey will enable quick collection of real-time data, high-resolution imagery, 3D modeling, seamless integration of GIS (Geographic Information System) data and CAD software, data analysis, and visualization. The tenders for starting soil investigation are also being finalized and will be floated in the coming few days.

The soil investigation will start from Falaknuma, where the Falaknuma metro station will be located. Apart from MGBS, which is an existing station, the 5.5 km metro stretch in the old city will have four other stations: Salarjung Museum, Charminar (metro stations will be about 500 meters away from these two monuments), Shalibanda, and Falaknuma.

Earlier, during a meeting with CM KCR, Asaduddin Owaisi, member of Parliament and president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen urged that the metro rail project must be taken up in Old City since the people there want the metro rail connection to the rest of the city. With Hyderabad developed far and wide, metro rail is one of the lifelines to travel seamlessly from one end to another.

The metro rail is laid till the MGBS bus stand. The Old City will be connected from Imlibun to Falaknuma covering 5.5 km under corridor-II. From the Imlibun bus stand, the metro rail will stretch from the Musi River. An estimated cost of more than Rs 100 crores would be spent on road expansion and property acquisition. The proposed metro rail will start from the MGBS bus stand and go along Mir Alam Mandi up to Shalibanda X roads till Falaknuma. The metro stations are proposed at Charminar, Shalibanda, Shamsheergunj, Jangammet and Falaknuma.