Alternative roads in the pipeline in Secunderabad Cantonment Board areas

Secunderabad: In a major development, the Defence authorities and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have come to the drawing board to thrash out the long-pending construction issue of the alternate road to Gough Road in order to mitigate the difficulties of the residents of North and North-Eastern parts of Hyderabad.

A meeting is scheduled on September 26 to expedite the process. A joint survey with revenue authorities for finalising the land requirements has now been completed. An alternate road to Gough Road has been delayed by over six years.

In the month of August this year, in a letter to the Union Defence Minister, KT Rama Rao appealed him to intervene and instruct the local authorities regarding the closure of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment. To ease the traffic problems between Ramakrishnapuram and West Marredpally, the government needs 40-acre defence land, abutting AOC, Safilguda for the construction of a new road. Thousands pass through Safilguda level crossing via Entrenchment Road and head further towards Sangeet junction. In earlier surveys, the proposal was to construct the six-lane road. Safilguda level crossing to RK Puram RoB four-lane road. There is considerable traffic between Wellington Road and Entrenchment Road as well.

The bone of contention has been the allotment of land with equivalent value of the land to Defence authorities. According to sources, the GHMC would have to shell out close to Rs 400 crore.

A couple of years ago, the estimated cost for constructing the road between Safilguda railway station and R K Puram flyover was 75 crore. Due to delay, there is bound to be cost escalation, aver senior officials.

The Defence authorities say that the requirements conveyed by the GHMC have been varying over a period of time leading to defence authorities' inability to consider the case.