Railway vent works begin to ease traffic at Malakpet

Malakpet: With a plan to improve road infrastructure and ease traffic congestion, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has taken up the construction of a railway vent in Malakpet. Further, it will also start the road-widening works on the stretch leading from Malakpet to Santosh Nagar once the land acquisition for the same completes.

With the vehicular traffic increased manifold in the last few years, the stretch from Chaderghat, Malakpet to Santosh Nagar, via Saidabad, Dhobi Ghat and IS Sadan junctions has been choking with traffic. To solve this problem, the civic body started the road-widening works to decongest and allow free flow of traffic.

According to Old Malakpet corporator Mohammed Saifuddin Shafi, the Malakpet area, especially the road under the Railway under Bridge (RuB) has been choking with vehicular traffic resulting in huge congestion at Chaderghat and Malakpet areas. "To ease traffic in these areas, a railway vent is being constructed by the civic body along with the Railway department at Malakpet. The construction of slab of the vent has been completed and shifting of electric lines and road-widening works are under progress," he said, informing that road-widening works from Malakpet to Santosh Nagar, of around 4km length, have also been started.

"During road-widening works, around 260 structures were affected, of which 128 properties were demolished and cheques were issued. The total land acquisition will cost Rs 153.37 crore," said an official of the Town Planning department of GHMC.

"Around 130 properties are pending, including two religious structures and Wakf properties. The Town planning has also issued notices to vacate and also gave three months' time to the concerned property owners, and by November, the land acquisition works will be completed and road-widening works will be taken up," added the official.

Meanwhile, the commuters on the stretch lauded the GHMC for taking up road works. "I take this route regularly. During peak hours, I get stuck in traffic. The road works will surely bring in some respite to road users of this stretch," said Satish, a regular commuter.