Title - The Hyderabad Metro Rail

Whoever has travelled during rush hours on the congested roads in Hyderabad, maybe standing in a hot and overcrowded bus while thousands of vehicle horns are joining in a loud cacophony, knows how desperately the city needs to improve its public transport facilities. A city the size of Hyderabad needs a rail-based rapid transport system. This gap now shall finally be filled with the Hyderabad Metro Rail.Hyderabad Metro Rail This blog mostly is about water supply and sanitation but public transport is an essential part of urban infrastructure too, especially for a megacity like Hyderabad with its current population of around 7 million, which is projected to rise to 9 million in 2025. In 2011 alone around 50.000 new vehicles were registered in Hyderabad and this number is expected to grow every year adding more traffic to the already congested roads. During peak hours the average speed on main roads at some locations like the Secunderabad Clock Tower or Kukatpally does not exceed 15 to 20 km/h. Apart from the loss of time, the stress and the noise as well as the danger for pedestrians who want to cross busy streets, the traffic also causes heavy air pollution.map (source: www.hyderabadmetrorail.in) To improve the quality of life a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) shall be constructed in Hyderabad in order to provide an efficient, safe and reliable means of public transport. The project was conceived in 2006 and in its first phase the erection of an elevated system of 72 km length is projected (an underground system would be very difficult and expensive to realize in Hyderabad’s rocky terrain). It will connect the different parts of the city and is expected to reduce journey times significantly. By taking traffic off the street it could also help to reduce air and noise pollution, as the example of the Delhi Metro has shown.

Nirvana on Wheels… The Hyderabad Metro Rail is a necessity for the city but from the beginning the project had to face many hurdles and delays. The bidding process for one of India’s largest Public Private Partnership projects ever had to be repeated due to financial irregularities of the construction company that was awarded the contract first and several problems concerning land acquisition and the relocation of heritage sites had to be solved. But construction has finally begun and if there won’t be further delays the first phase of the Hyderabad Metro Rail will be operational by 2017.