The Central government finally intervened in the ongoing Hyderabad Metro controversy. The Center on Tuesday night had gazetted the first phase alignment of the project covering the three corridors currently in construction. With this move, any change in the project alignment will require the nod of the Central government. It is not easy even for the center to make changes in the alignment. Any changes have to be approved by the Parliament through a bill.
In the gazette, the government has clearly stated that the first phase of the project will only be an elevated corridor and there is no chance of the project going underground as stated by the Chief Minister in the state Assembly. This move of the government comes just a day after Telangana Chief Secretary and Metro Adviser Papa Rao met the officials of Union development ministry and proposed the underground changes. This sudden move of the Center will certainly come as a shock to the KCR government.
It is known that the Chief Minister has announced that Metro Rail will go underground near the old assembly building and Sultan Bazaar to save the heritage structures. However, L&T, the concessionaire of the project has clarified that underground metro will not be a feasible option in Hyderabad as it will not only escalate the project costs but also will risk the extinction of ground water in Hyderabad.
