Metro rail's threat to Heritage buildings of Hyderabad

Metro set to steamroll heritage

Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, 21 June 2011

June 20: The city’s iconic Cyber Tower has been the backdrop for many Tollywood songs but with the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project set to redraw the city’s skyline, the landmark building is set to have an obstructed view. The 30-75 feet high Metro corridor will run across the existing over-bridge in front of Cyber Tower.

Like the Cyber Tower, there are many other landmark structures in the city that will lose out due to the Metro, say citizens’ groups adding that the city will lose it’s flexibility to face the future due to the Metro. The elevated Metro Rail project, which is the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, will be a replica of the Delhi Metro and will cover 71.16 km above ground.

Citizen’s groups have labelled it “the undoing of the city” as the Hyderabad Metro Rail corridor will often run parallel to many heritage sites, including the majestic Assembly building. The entire project will be an elevated corridor along the central meridian of roads with two parallel tracks of rails and 66 stations. The elevated track will be at a height of 35 to 50 feet and at three places in the core city it will be as high as 60-70 feet due to existing flyovers.

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