Later this month, the bustling streets of Hyderabad’s Previous Metropolis will witness the rumble of excavators – not for routine roadworks, however to mark a transformative step within the metropolis’s city transit story.
The much-anticipated second part of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) venture is ready to start, beginning with the demolition of roughly 400 properties alongside the three.5 km stretch from Darulshifa to Shalibanda.
This marks the start of land acquisition for the long-stalled metro overhead line connecting Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) to the proposed Chandrayangutta junction station, a distance of seven.5km.
Following the demolition, the roads will endure remarking whereas barricades will likely be set as much as handle site visitors and geo-technical research will likely be taken up subsequent month. These preliminary actions will pave the way in which for setting up the towering pillars and viaducts over which metro rail tracks will likely be laid.
This metro line is a part of 5 new corridors proposed by the present Congress authorities in Telangana, spanning 76.4 km at an estimated price of ₹24,269 crore. To be taken up as a three way partnership between the State authorities and the Centre, the venture features a vital mortgage element of ₹11,653 crore (48%). The monetary partnership will see the State contributing ₹7,313 crore (or 30%) and the Centre ₹4,230 crore (or 18%), with the latter additionally extending a sovereign assure.
It has been an extended wait – 10 years, to be exact – however the wheels of Hyderabad’s metro rail enlargement are lastly turning once more. This recommencement comes seven years after the HMR started its first part of economic operations throughout three corridors comprising 57 stations: the 29-km Purple Line from Miyapur to L.B. Nagar, the 29-km Blue Line from Nagole to Raidurg, and the 11-km Inexperienced Line from Jubilee Bus Station to MGBS. These corridors opened in phases beginning in November 2017, with the ultimate stretch of JBS to MGBS being inaugurated in February 2020.
Driving this renewed momentum is Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who has taken a hands-on method to the metro’s revised blueprint. Underneath his management, Hyderabad Airport Metro Restricted (HAML), the company implementing the venture, has been tasked with integrating the prevailing metro traces right into a seamless round loop. This entails connecting the terminal stations of Nagole and L.B. Nagar, and linking all of the corridors to the proposed metro route extending to the Rajiv Gandhi Worldwide Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
“We have been the second-largest metro rail community within the nation after Delhi Metro after we launched the primary part in 2017,” says HMR and HAML managing director N.V.S. Reddy.
“Now, we’re within the third place with Delhi Metro increasing to 415km and Bengaluru at 74km. If we delay additional, we threat slipping to the ninth place, as cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and others are investing closely, between ₹50,000 crore to ₹1 lakh crore, on constructing new metro traces,” he explains.
In line with him, metro tasks spanning roughly 980km are at present beneath development throughout 19 cities within the nation.
The blueprint
As somebody who steered the HMR’s first part from conceptualisation to commissioning, N.V.S. Reddy is assured about delivering this enlargement inside 4 years as soon as the three way partnership and mortgage agreements are firmed up. He says leveraging the newest development applied sciences, together with using U-shaped girders for the viaducts, may expedite the method.
“Apart from the Previous Metropolis stretch of about sixkm, the place properties are being acquired beneath the Land Acquisition Act, little or no personal land is required for the second part. The correct of means (RoW) is available in a lot of the proposed corridors, and we plan to utilise authorities lands for the stations, parking and depots,” he explains.
Expressing confidence that the Centre will grant approval for the three way partnership quickly, he says, “Work will start within the Previous Metropolis first, and we are going to be certain that not one of the 106 non secular and heritage buildings are disturbed. Engineering options will enable us to bypass these websites. Property house owners within the space are being compensated generously, with ₹65,000 per sq. yard being provided towards the official charge of ₹23,000 per sq. yard.”
Much like the primary part of HMR, the second part will largely function elevated viaducts, apart from a 1.6-kilometre underground stretch contained in the RGIA. All of the proposed new traces are extensions of the prevailing 69.2km from part one: Purple Line from Miyapur to Patancheru, Blue Line from Raidurg to Kokapet, and Inexperienced Line from MGBS to Chandrayanagutta.
The airport will likely be accessible from all three metro traces, with seamless connections by way of extensions linking the Nagole and L.B. Nagar stations. A twin station will likely be established at Nagole to serve Blue Line travellers heading to the airport, whereas Inexperienced Line commuters can board on the Chandrayanagutta interchange station. These on the Purple Line may have the choice to affix the route at MGBS or L.B. Nagar.
What units the second part aside is its totally new monetary mannequin, a departure from the primary part, which was executed because the world’s largest public-private partnership (PPP) metro venture.
In part one, the federal government invested ₹2,970 crore, with ₹1,204 crore offered by the Centre as ‘Viability Hole Funding’, and the concessionaire, L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH), investing ₹17,974 crore.
“HMR’s first part is the one metro rail venture within the nation’s 23 ongoing metro ventures to function beneath the PPP mannequin,” explains CEO of L&TMRH and managing director Ok.V.B. Reddy.
“We secured a ₹11,000-crore mortgage at 10% rate of interest from banks led by the State Financial institution of India. Whereas we’re the most effective in managing operational bills, the excessive rate of interest on capital funding has resulted in losses. Nevertheless, we’ve got introduced down our debt by way of monetary re-engineering and decreased our rate of interest to six%,” he reveals.
Three way partnership mannequin
What makes part two economically viable is the Centre’s three way partnership mannequin, which features a sovereign assure. This important provision permits loans to be secured at an rate of interest of simply 2% from multilateral businesses just like the World Financial institution, Asian Improvement Financial institution or Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company.
These loans additionally include lengthy reimbursement durations and a moratorium for the primary few years, says the HMR managing director.
This sovereign assure is, nonetheless, not prolonged to the personal sector. “Extra PPP tasks might be profitable if such an choice is made accessible to them,” chips in L&TMRH CEO.
L&TMRH is able to step in as an EPC (engineering, procurement, and development) contractor for the second part as soon as tenders are issued, anticipated someday subsequent 12 months. “We’re able to be a part of the Telangana development story. We’ve the total spectrum of experience – civil, electrical, signalling and communication. Solely rolling inventory must be procured. No different agency has this functionality. We’ve 2,500 engineers engaged on minimising development time. We are able to ship a lot sooner if the RoW is offered,” says Ok.V.B. Reddy.
In the meantime, the primary part of the Hyderabad Metro has grown exponentially, now carrying about 4.75 lakh passengers day by day, with a peak of 5.64 lakh riders. This can be a exceptional improve from the preliminary 20,000 passengers when operations started in November 2017.
At the moment, 57 three-coach practice units run day by day, finishing 1,075 journeys with a frequency of two.5 to five minutes throughout peak hours and seven to 10 minutes throughout non-peak hours.
What’s extra, the system maintains a formidable punctuality charge of 99.86%.
For the second part, HAML has ‘conservatively’ estimated that the 5 new routes, as soon as operational, may simply deal with as much as eight lakh passengers day by day, with the potential to rise to 10 lakhs. This projection isn’t far-fetched, contemplating the ridership surges noticed in different cities. Bengaluru, Nagpur, and Pune have seen day by day passenger depend double after metro traces have been prolonged with improved inter-connectivity – from 60,000 to 1.5 lakh and even 7.5 lakh. Chennai’s day by day ridership additionally soared from 40,000 to 2 lakh passengers after including new traces, metro rail officers level out.
Reshaping city journey
The federal government’s latest flurry of bulletins concerning part two has additionally sparked anticipation among the many commuters. “I’ve been utilizing the metro since part one was launched, however because it at present ends at Miyapur, I’m compelled to take an autorickshaw to succeed in my home in Madinaguda. The proposed extension to Patancheru will likely be a boon for scores of residents on this a part of the town, connecting us to different suburbs,” says U. Krishna Ved (54), a administration advisor.
Residents of the Previous Metropolis, sidelined within the first part, are notably optimistic. “We hope that the metro will lastly cater to us,” says personal firm worker M.A. Haq (50). “Many staff, college students, and others use the prevailing companies to succeed in bus and railway stations or areas like Hello-Tec Metropolis and Raidurg, however from far-off factors like Malakpet or MGBS. Everyone seems to be wanting ahead to the brand new companies and can welcome it with open arms,” he provides.
However, after all, not everyone seems to be totally glad with the proposed routes for part two. Residents like M. Sampath Reddy and BJP chief S.Malla Reddy are urging the federal government to incorporate different quickly rising residential areas corresponding to Medchal through Kompally, Shamirpet through Thumkunta, Suraram-Gandimysamma, and ECIL-Keesara.
Kanchana, one other resident, questions why Mehdipatnam was excluded from the plan.
Requested about these issues, N.V.S. Reddy clarifies, “There are lots of calls for from numerous areas, however we can’t cowl each route in a single go. Since 2017, the Centre has made RoW – a large highway with house for utilities like energy, telecom and water pipelines – a precondition for approving metro rail tasks. We are going to contemplate different areas in subsequent phases as the town continues to develop.”
Focus areas
Residents additionally spotlight different challenges that must be addressed. B.Rajendra Prasad from Saroornagar stresses the significance of bettering first and last-mile connectivity to residential colonies, in collaboration with the Telangana State Highway Transport Company (TGSRTC) and different transport businesses.
Equally, graduate pupil M.A. Hadi advocates for a standard ticket system integrating all modes of public transport.
One other persistent concern amongst commuters is the dearth of satisfactory parking services, which many really feel wants pressing consideration.
Metro rail officers inform that the Centre has mandated the implementation of the Nationwide Widespread Mobility Card for all public transport techniques, aiming for a nationwide roll-out subsequent 12 months. Nevertheless, talks with the TGSRTC on route and repair integration are but to make progress. Officers consider intervention from prime political leaders may expedite collaboration and pave the way in which for seamless connectivity.
“Personal gamers are allowed to function shuttle service between particular locations, however solely the TGSRTC is permitted to supply pick-and-drop companies at a number of factors,” an official clarifies.
Relating to parking services, classes from the primary part are being put to make use of.
For the second part, officers are planning to safe enough land to offer ample parking on the proposed 54 stations throughout the 5 corridors.
N.V.S. Reddy is optimistic in regards to the progress of part two, asserting it is going to be a “cakewalk” in comparison with the primary part, which took seven years to finish.
“The Chief Minister is intently monitoring the work. He has performed 10 evaluations and in addition ensured launch of funds for preliminary works,” he says.
Encouraging public participation, the HMR chief has invited residents to contribute to the venture by suggesting station areas, the variety of stations, and even their names, underscoring the collaborative spirit driving the metro rail’s enlargement.
Printed – December 06, 2024 05:39 am IST
