Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is undertaking a study on the feasibility of extending the growth corridor along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to 5 km. The corridor is 1-km on either side of the ORR.
If the proposal goes through, the enlarged growth corridor will cover Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, Musi river land and Dhulapally forests.
The study follows a direction by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao Rao to ensure rapid development of areas along the ORR.
According to officials, areas near lakes and forests will be declared as conservation zone to protect the environment. The ORR is about 160 km, and the growth corridor will include all types of land. Land use would differ accordingly, a sources said.
The urban body has tasked two consultancies with studying land usage and existing road network in the five kilometre area on either side of the ORR.
Currently, at a width of 1 km on either side of the ORR, the growth corridor covers nearly 1.4 lakh acres. This will increase manifold if the width of the corridor is extended to 5 km.
HMDA commissioner T. Chiranjeevulu said that with the city becoming congested, development in future will be concentrated along the ORR.
“After the report is submitted, government will review the land use pattern and prepare a draft. Then public views will be sought and a committee will examine suggestions and take a decision accordingly. This process will take six to eight months,” he said.
