October deadline set for ongoing SRDP works

GHMC officials have a humongous task ahead of them in order to finish the ongoing works pertaining to the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) within the coming eight months.

Orders for completion of all the ongoing works by October-end were issued by Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) K. T. Rama Rao during a review meeting held on Monday. The Minister directed the GHMC engineering officials for deployment of additional men and machinery for speedy completion of the works.

The works have been inordinately delayed on several stretches, partly owing to lack of funds and partly to issues encountered in land acquisition. With roads dug up in half, the works have been causing nightmarish ride to commuters.

Locations where SRDP components such as flyovers, elevated corridors and underpasses are in progress include LB Nagar, Bairamalguda, Nagole, Gachibowli, Bahadurpura, Owaisi Hospital, Jubilee Hills, Durgam Cheruvu, Balanagar, Amberpet, Shaikpet, Kondapur and Kothaguda.

With GHMC elections round the corner, the government is giving special attention to these projects, keeping in view the electoral dividend they can gain with their completion, as well as to avoid wrath of the commuters on these stretches.

GHMC’s present governing council was constituted in February, 2016, and speculation is rife that the corporation could go for early elections this year.

The works, however, will have to overcome several hurdles before they are completed. Even where land acquisition is completed, mere construction needs continuous work of six months, officials say.

For the work to progress without a hitch, the respective locations need to be shut down for traffic, which could be next to impossible on some stretches with no alternative routes. GHMC has been constantly at daggers drawn with traffic police over the issue, and there have been instances where its staff were taken into custody to prevent the work.

Utility shifting poses another challenge. Water and sewerage pipes, and electricity poles need to be shifted immediately after property acquisition for the works to go non-stop. Often, the shifting takes tediously long time, owing to bureaucratic processes involved in it.

During Monday’s meeting, the Minister promised to redress the situation on the traffic side, while Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar was said to have taken it upon himself to ensure speedy shifting of utilities.