CM Revanth puts Airport alignment plan on hold; calls for cost-effective alternative

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy today ordered putting the Airport alignment plan and its tender on hold.

Chief Minister passed the order during a detailed review of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project, its expansion plans, Airport Metro project today.

He instructed the senior officers to keep the present Airport alignment plan and its tender on hold. He asked for preparing alternative alignments from MGBS-Falaknuma and from LB Nagar via Chandrayangutta.

He directed MD, HMRL to prepare cost-effective alternatives of taking it via Mailardevpally, Jalpally, and P7 Road; or via Barkas-Pahadishareef and Srisailam Road. He desired that if a straight line alignment could save costs, it could cut across the open areas of the Airport premises as the entire land belongs to the Government.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the way several benefits have been handed out to the Metro Rail Concessionaire L&TMRHL despite the non-completion of a 5.5 km stretch in the Old City, he directed the senior officers present to get the whole matter investigated. He desired that the Concession Agreement of L&TMRHL and GMR Airport and the supplementary Concession Agreement of Metro Rail be thoroughly examined to protect the government’s interests.

He advised the senior officers to plan for an environmental-friendly mega township in the huge extent of lands acquired for Pharma City near Kandukur. He opined that the polluting Pharma City shall not be nearer to Hyderabad instead, it shall be located in a distant place. He also instructed MD, HMRL to plan for Metro Rail connectivity to this mega new city from the Airport area via Tukkuguda on Srisailam Road.

During the meeting, CM wanted to know how the Airport Metro alignment was fixed along the ORR through the G.O.111 area, where the scope for development is limited and already a very good transport facility.

He said since a major part of the city’s population lives in central and eastern parts and the Old City, priority should have been given to taking the Airport Metro alignment through Old City from MGBS-Falaknuma; and from LB Nagar area to serve a vast majority of the common people.

He emphasized that the city will have to be developed and expanded equally in all directions and that Hyderabad has tremendous potential to be a global city with no geographical limitations.

Keeping the fact that Telangana is 40% urbanized, Hyderabad city should be planned for accommodating initially about two crore population. It should be able to accommodate around three crore population by creating satellite townships all around ORR. He said Metro Rail shall play an important role in providing affordable and fast connectivity to these satellite townships.

CM Revanth said his government takes a balanced approach between welfare schemes and the development of the city, he directed the senior officers to come up with a Master plan for the city, including beautification of the Musi River and making use of the right of way available along its banks to plan for east-west road-cum-Metro Rail connectivity from Nagole to Gandipet, duly connecting the intercity bus terminal of MGBS.

He advised the senior officers to think big to exploit Hyderabad’s potential to be a logistics and medical hub between the Western and Gulf countries on one hand and South East Asia on the other. He also instructed them to plan for a dry port, since Telangana is a landlocked state.