Metro works to go on, come rain or shine

HYDERABAD: With the onset of the South-West monsoon just a week or two away, the Hyderabad Metro Rail officials have chalked out plans to ensure that rains wouldn’t impact the ongoing works. The 71.16-km elevated metro rail along three corridors is planned to be carried out in six stages. Currently, works are underway on the Nagole-Mettuguda (8km) stretch or stage-1 in corridor-3 and the Miyapur-SR Nagar stretch (11km) or stage 2 in corridor-1.Speaking to City express, HMR managing director NVS Reddy said, “the internal target set ahead of monsoon is the completion of 60 pier foundations in stage 1 in corridor-3. All efforts are being made to avoid inconvenience to the public at places where we are working during the rains.”According to officials, HMR has identified valley points in the different corridors. Valley points mean low lying areas which could result in water stagnation. “We have identified 49 valley points in the Miyapur-SR Nagar stretch and 149 valley points in the entire corridor-1 (Miyapur-LB Nagar). No activity would be carried out in valley points in both the stages during the monsoon. Instead, works will proceed as usual at the ‘Ridges’ (high lying areas where free flow of water is possible),” said a senior official with HMR. Further, he said, the HMR had ensured that all the storm water drains at the places of work are functional besides replacing open drains with equivalent RCC pipe drains.The Hyderabad Metro Rail, through its recent traffic management program, has identified bottlenecks and junctions on its routes. “All the junctions have been identified and for avoiding inconvenience to the public, Lee Associates, a consultancy group, has been hired for improving traffic amenities and measures. In case of bottlenecks, already alternative roads and detouring has been arranged at various places besides creating separate free-lefts,” said the official adding that “all these aspects would be ensured before any barricading starts in the middle of the road”. The elevated rail network will have 30 piers per every km with 66 stations and the authorities plan to lay 15-20 pier foundations every month.

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