HYDERABAD: The extra Metro Rail pillars put up on Rang Mahal Road at Putlibowli near the rear gate of Osmania Medical College has divided the 100-feet road into four parts, say angry residents. The pillars are close to the viaduct of the Metro Rail line that runs from Dilsukhnagar and crosses to Putlibowli. Another Metro Rail line coming up from Sultan Bazaar and Osmania Medical College will cross over this line and connect at the MGBS bus stand.
The additional pillars which have been placed in the middle of the road are to support the heavy cement structures, a Metro Rail officer stated. Mr Kishan Yadav, an aggrieved senior resident, said, “This was such a wide road and now we have Metro Rail pillars and a viaduct right in the middle. On the side of the viaduct, in the middle of the road there is another set of pillars. How is the traffic to move on this road? Our queries with the traffic police and Metro Rail authorities have not elicited any response.”
There are a total of six pillars on both sides, very close to the viaduct. Mr Govind Rathi, another senior resident, explained, “Land on both sides has been acquired and we do not understand why they need to create obstacles on the road. During morning and evening hours there are traffic jams. There is virtually no footpath for people to walk as all sides have been dug up. The large and wide space is now becoming a bottleneck due to the pillars. They could have placed the pillars on the side so that there would be space for vehicles to move freely. Now the road is divided into four parts and bigger vehicles cannot move on these roads at all.”
The chaos is being seen on the road on a daily basis with traffic police monitoring the work near the single pillars. There are also residences and commercial establishments close to the construction. Metro Rail officials stated the single pillars are for support and their height will go above the viaduct as the metro rail from Sultan Bazaar will go over this metro rail. The pillars have been designed in this fashion as a part of good engineering design and structural stability. There will be a service road created for the movement of smooth traffic. The one single road will now have four lanes for vehicular movement.
