Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) is moving forward with the Old City Metro Corridor project, focusing on the 7.5 km stretch. They are close to securing the necessary land and have begun tearing down properties in the way.
NVS Reddy, HAML’s Managing Director, stated that under the guidance of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the expansion is progressing rapidly. The goal is to finally bring Metro Rail to the Old City.
Initially, 1,100 properties were expected to be affected. However, new engineering techniques have reduced this number to 886. Already, over 550 demolitions are done, and the rest are ongoing. So far, property owners have received a total compensation of Rs 433 crore.
Despite challenges like rain and festivals, the work has continued smoothly and without disturbing residents. Preparations for building Metro pillars and stations are active. This includes precision mapping using Differential GPS (DGPS), moving underground utilities, testing soil, and protecting heritage sites.
Reddy highlighted the need to manage underground utilities at pillar spots since the old roads have many hidden lines for water, sewage, and more. The road is being expanded to 100 feet, requiring property demolitions.
To ensure strong foundations, soil and groundwater investigations are underway. The alignment has been adjusted to avoid impacting sensitive structures.
All technical preparations are nearly complete to start the Old City Metro Rail work soon, according to NVS Reddy.
