Hyderabad: The first of its kind, the tunnel transport facility in Telangana from In-orbit Mall to Khajaguda, lies in limbo.
The project is yet to get financial sanction and continues to remain on paper. Citing financial crisis, the GHMC revised the tunnel project earlier this year and reduced the cost to Rs 875 crore from the earlier proposed Rs 1,400 crore.
The GHMC has reduced the length of the tunnel from 5.5 km to 2.5 km to reduce costs. The tunnel itself is 508.2 m beneath a hillock while the remaining part is a steel bridge.
Sanction for Rs 875 crore is needed. Of this, Rs 100 crore is for land acquisition. Yet budgetary constraints for the project remain and serve as a reminder that large-scale projects, like the digging of a tunnel in natural rock formation, is often a hit or miss proposition and eventually timelines can extend for years to come.
Civic body officials noted that the government did not clear the budget. An official said that there was no clarity from the government on the project and once they received administrative sanction, they could ground the project.
“The government has not cleared the fund for this project yet and it is still with the finance department. The delay could be due to the early budget. A couple of players are ready to start the activity once the finances are approved.” a GHMC official said.
This project, if grounded, will provide a major respite for commuters coming from Madhapur towards the Outer Ring Road. Commuters from Madhapur can negotiate underneath bridge or over the bridge, and converge onto TSIIC road and reach ORR.
Cyberabad Traffic DCP Vijay Kumar said, “If the project is realised, it will be very helpful for commuters from Madhapur going to Shamshabad and vice versa, especially because people from Madhapur and Jubilee Hills road number 36, instead of navigating via Bio Diversity junction and Raheja Mindspace, can use this.”
It may be mentioned here that there are natural rock formations spread across various places in the city like Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Gachibowli and Khajaguda.
Officials pointed that even though there were technologies to remove rock formations without damaging them, the GHMC would follow the penetrative method. In this method, they would make hole in the rock, remove the silt, conduct tests and then strengthen it.
It is a special project and is the first transport facility in Telangana. There is one such tunnel in Vijayawada near Bhavanipuram, constructed in the British era.
