The high level bridges on the Musi River, envisaged, designed and sanctioned by the previous BRS government, stand shelved now, except one.
Only the bridge sanctioned at Musarambagh in place of the existing causeway will be completed in order to address traffic issues, highly placed sources informed.
The bridges were planned by the previous government at 14 locations across the river, which included one bridge exclusively for hawkers displaced as part of the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project. The locations finalised were Chaderghat, Ibrahimbagh, Musarambagh, Afzalgunj, Uppal, Manchirevula, Hydershakote, Pratapsingaram, Bandlaguda Jagir, Sun City, Budvel and Attapur.
A design competition was held for architects to suggest models for the bridges, and a team of officials was sent to Paris to study technical and aesthetic aspects of bridges on Seine.
Just ahead of the announcement for elections to the legislative assembly, the former Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development K. T. Rama Rao laid the foundation for six of these bridges for which tenders had been finalised.
Post the elections and the formation of the new government, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced bigger plans under the Musi River Front Development Corporation (MRDCL), envisaging a comprehensive rather than piecemeal approach for development of the river.
Accordingly, expression of interest (EoI) has been invited for designing a separate masterplan for the river, with the stated objective of “strategically redirecting the growth inwards back into the city”. The river will become a growth driver for the entire corridor creating new commercial and residential centres and rejuvenating older heritage areas and markets, the EoI document said stating the vision of the project.
The 55 kilometre stretch of the river connecting Narsingi in the west with Gourelli in the East with a kilometre or more earmarked on either side of the river will be the canvas for the masterplan, totalling to around 130-180 square kilometres of area.
Key components of the project include river water management through improvement of sewer networks and better storm water management, development of trunk infrastructure, pedestrian zones, recreational/tourist areas, commercial centres, planning of mobility corridor and transit oriented development among others. The masterplan may get a shape before the Parliament elections, sources informed.
While hawkers’ bridges are mentioned in the EoI document as part of the masterplan, the one already approved has been shelved, as per information. Already, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been asked to put on hold any land conversions or infrastructural proposals within the defined stretch around the river, officials informed. Once the masterplan is finalised, land conversions will not be allowed anymore in order to maintain the integrity of the location.
