The Hindu Pedestrians on Back Foot Swathi Vadlamudi HYDERABAD, January 04, 2018 00:53 IST Updated
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The Hindu Pedestrians on back foot Swathi Vadlamudi HYDERABAD, January 04, 2018 00:53 IST Updated: January 04, 2018 07:50 IST http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/pedestrians-on-back- foot/article22362529.ece Pedestrian safety seems to be the clear casualty in the city’s rush to have swankier roads. GHMC’s Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP), the ₹23,000- crore mega project aiming for a signal-free transportation across junctions, has no component for pedestrians who would be affected most by absence of signals. Worsening this condition is the inability of GHMC to construct foot over bridges (FOBs) as planned. Though 58 locations across the city were identified for the construction of FOBs, work on only 12 have been taken up. It is reliably learnt that the State government has directed the civic body to hand over a few of the remaining FOBs to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), in view of the inordinate delay in constructing them. Taking it as cue, GHMC has prepared a list of 44 locations to be handed over to HMDA, almost washing its hands of the project. Areas in focus The FOBs listed for handing over to HMDA are to come up at locations including Domalguda, Chilkalguda, IDPL, Masabtank, Madinaguda, Punjagutta, Miyapur, Uppal/Ghatkesar, Necklace Road, Ramanthapur, Gachibowli, Neredmet, Musheerabad, Santhosh Nagar, Tolichowki, Langar Houz, A.S. Rao Nagar, Raidurgam, Shaikpet, Erragadda, Panama Godowns, Vanasthalipuram, Chandanagar, Hayatnagar, Mythrivanam, Nagaram village, Ganesh Nagar, Jeedimetla, Mallapur, Shapurnagar, Rajendranagar, Sun City (Bandlaguda), Suchitra Circle, IDA Uppal, Amberpet, Saidabad, Durganagar, Nehru Zoological Park, Umdanagar, Aramghar junction, and Hitech City, among others. However, HMDA Commissioner T. Chiranjeevulu has denied any knowledge about the decision. Construction of FOBs is GHMC’s responsibility and it is not too likely that the job would be handed over to HMDA, he said, adding that he has not received any communication about it yet. Reason for delay Lack of response for tenders is said to be the reason for the delay in construction of FOBs. Agencies have been reluctant to apply owing to restrictions on use of bridges for advertisement, sources said. So far, tenders have been awarded for three in EPC mode. Of those, two have been completed near Tipu Khan Bridge at Langar Houz, and at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Banjara Hills. Work is in progress near National Police Academy. Elevators planned Bidding process for nine others has been completed for construction in Build- Operate-Transfer mode, and these will have elevators, unlike the three under EPC mode. For two more, the locations are disputed leading to the delay, officials informed. Chief Engineer (Projects) R. Sreedhar has confirmed that the construction of FOBs will be shared both by GHMC and HMDA. He informed that the SRDP does not have the component of pedestrian facilities and a separate project will be taken up for the same after conducting a study .