GHMC expedites ₹16,785-cr big-ticket infra projects

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has fast-tracked 20 major and big-ticket infrastructure projects entailing an investment of ₹4,741 crore as a part of the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP). The state government and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) are currently preparing detailed reports for 12 projects, which constitute a total cost of ₹12,044 crore. Among the 20 SRDP works, only two projects worth ₹661 crore are held up due to land acquisition issues. The remaining projects are under various stages of construction. The current infrastructure has not been affected by the pandemic, which resulted in heavy losses for different sectors. Four of the multiple flyovers under construction currently are all set to be opened to the public in Kondapur, Shaikpet, Balanagar, Bairamalguda, and Owaisi Junction shortly. The flyover crossing Seven Tombs and Whisper Valley junction, LB Nagar flyover and Bairamalguda flyover will be inaugurated by the end of this year. GHMC officials stated that when the lockdown was imposed, work on infrastructure projects gained traction. As there were traffic restrictions during the lockdown, works were executed round the clock and several projects were completed before the deadline. The SRDP was designed with an estimate of ₹25,000 crore and the works were prioritized in five phases to further reduce the expenditure.