Hyderabad Metro: HMRL proposes Land acquisition for 410 properties
In a bid to speed up the construction process of the Hyderabad Metro, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been entrusted with the arduous responsibility of acquiring 410 properties along the three metro corridors, on a high priority basis. The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has prepared a priority list for land acquisition based on the criticality factor. It has been seen that many of the properties short-listed for acquisition were either blocking the construction of piers or were impeding the smooth progress of the proposed line along different stretches.
Work progressing smoothly:
Meanwhile, work is progressing smoothly on the Nagole-Mettuguda as well as the Miyapur-SR Nagar stretches as revealed by the project developer, L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad. Construction has already been completed on 962 foundations, across 25.29 kms, and on 797 piers across 21.27 kms according to project officials. Besides, 354 spans were also erected on various stretches.
Break-up of properties:
The priority list prepared by the HMRL consists of 149 properties along the Moosapet-New Market stretch that comes under Corridor I (LB Nagar-Miyapur) of the metro project and 75 properties on Corridor II (JBS-Falaknuma), between the Clock Tower, Secunderabad, and Old Gandhi Hospital areas. Moreover, 118 properties on the Mettuguda-Begumpet stretch have also been short-listed in the priority list, and another 68 properties between Jubilee hills check-post and Hitech city, which comes under Corridor III (Nagole-Shilparamam) of the project.
Properties hindering construction of Piers:
Delay in acquiring properties was hampering the construction of pillars along various stretches as informed by GHMC officials. It has been noticed that 75 properties are hindering the erection of as many as 83 piers along Corridor I, in different areas like the stretch between Moosapet and Mahbub Mansion via Bharatnagar, Khairatabad, Nampally Ameerpet, Jambagh and Nalgonda crossroads. Besides, work on the construction of 139 piers has also been obstructed along the Clock Tower-Old Gandhi Hospital and Musheerabad-Kachiguda stretches, as 244 properties are yet to be acquired along these stretches. In addition, another 58 properties are standing in the way of the construction of 118 pillars proposed to come up on the Mettuguda-Greenlands as well as the Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills stretches.
Another stumbling block in the progress of the metro project is due to hassles in acquiring land at various curves and bends along different stretches. Even though the right of way was granted along various stretches of the metro project, there are still many stretches which have not been granted the same. An instance of this is in the case where 31 properties along Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills are acting as impediments in the construction of 41 piers. In another such instance, 65 properties along the Jubilee Hills check-post and Hitech city stretch, across five kms are proposed to be taken over by the GHMC.
Onus on GHMC’s land acquisition wing:
With the project developer already having completed the erection of piers and spans along the Nagole-Mettuguda as well as the Miyapur-Kukatpally sections, the GHMC’s land acquisition wing has the onerous task of completing the remaining land acquisition process without any further delay. To smoothen the process of land acquisition, a draft notification has already been issued for 897 properties along nine stretches, that include Kukatpally-SR Nagar, JBS-Narayanguda, Hitech city-Jubilee Hills check-post and Mettuguda-Greenlands stretches. Moreover, the compensation package awarded to property owners has already been passed for 340 properties.
