Hyderabad emerges city of future
Hyderabad: The last few years have seen Hyderabad take the path of progress to emerge as a city of the future while retaining the valuable core of its past.
The metamorphosis of the city in terms of infrastructure is there for anyone and everyone to see. The once small and narrow road stretches are rapidly transforming into massive networks of well-laid-out surfaces offering smooth travel and commuting, flyovers dot key junctions helping motorists avoid conflict spots, tunnels ensure vehicles zoom past without hassle and pedestrians get high-tech Foot over Bridges (FoBs).
One key shift from earlier dispensations in planning for infrastructure is that the present government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao adopting a three-pronged approach – short, mid and long-term development. Thus projects like Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP), Link Roads and Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) while offering an immediate reprieve for citizens also meant to cater to the needs and demands of coming decades.
Guided by Municipal Administration & Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao, under the SRDP, a total of 29 projects which include flyovers, underpasses, Road over Bridges (RoBs) and Road under Bridges (RuBs) were built in the last eight years. A total of 70 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 37,000 crore were taken up and among them, 47 projects with Rs 8,052 crore are under Phase I. This massive development has been taken up duly preserving the heritage of the city making Hyderabad one of the best places in the world to live and invest.
Not just road networks, but other key urban needs like dozens of lung spaces and urban forest blocks have taken shape in the city to prevent it from turning into a concrete jungle. The GHMC has developed 19 theme parks spread over 82.94 acres and another 53 facilities will soon come up in different locations.
The streets of Hyderabad were never so beautifully illuminated and the aesthetics of street lights match with conservation efforts through the LED Street Light project. Replacing the conventional streetlights with 4.92 lakh LED bulbs in GHMC limits has led to a reduction of monthly electricity bill expenditure by over Rs 6 crore. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) too joined the endeavour and lit up the 158-km Outer Ring Road (ORR) with LED lights.
Meanwhile, to address the decades-old issue of urban flooding, stormwater drains in the GHMC and its surrounding urban local bodies (ULBs) are being revamped with Rs 954 crore under SNDP. After the State was formed, Hyderabad also got its exclusive Disaster Response Force (DRF) that swings into action during downpours safeguarding the lives and property.
Water supply
Hyderabad, which once used to witness protests with empty pots every summer, now has comfortable water supplies. Not just the core city, even the suburbs and now extended peripheries of the city have been covered by the sufficient water supply.
The drinking water supply is being increased in the localities outside GHMC and within the ORR with Rs 12,000 crore under the ORR Phase-II project. In addition to this, with Rs 1,450 crore, Sunkishala Project is under construction.
The present water requirement of Hyderabad is 37 TMC which is expected to go up to 70.97 TMC by 2072. The Sunkishala Project will ensure adequate drinking water even if there is no proper monsoon for five years.
River Musi
After decades, the Musi River and its vicinity running through the city finally is getting a facelift and an administrative sanction of Rs 545 crore was accorded for 15 bridges across Musi and Esa rivers.
