Following uproar over the alleged removal of a section of Hyderabad’s solar cycling track, civic authorities have clarified that only a portion of the solar roof has been removed to address traffic congestion, while the track remains intact for cyclists to use.
The Hyderabad Cycling Track was opened on October 2, 2023, when the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government was in power. The 23-km track was touted to be India’s first solar cycling track, designed to generate 16 MW of solar power.
On December 17, a video surfaced online, showing workers removing dismantled parts of the solar panelled roof on a stretch of the track near the Nanakramguda rotary along the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The video sparked anger on social media among cyclists as well as BRS leaders, who criticised the Congress government for the move, believing it to be a partial removal of the track itself.
Calling the cycling track a brainchild of former Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao, BRS leader Konatham Dileep said, “Is this yet another attempt by Revanth Reddy to erase KCR’s legacy?... Why destroy such a valuable piece of public infrastructure for political vendetta?” KTR himself also called it an “idiotic” move.
However, a clarification was issued by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), saying the “news alleging removal of cycle track is completely false and baseless.”
According to HMDA, to address traffic congestion at Nanakramguda rotary, a new down ramp is being built for traffic coming from Gachibowli and going towards Narsingi and Manikonda on ORR.
“To accommodate this down ramp, an 80m portion of the roof of cycle track near Nanakramguda rotary has been removed,” HMDA said. It stressed that “only the shade over the cycle track has to be removed” to accommodate the new ramp, “without disturbing the cycle track.”
“The cycle track will be continued by providing at-grade crossing,” similar to other crossings already provided along the track at other locations, it noted.
The decision as taken in consultation with Cyberabad Traffic Police, and was also discussed during the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)’s 66th Convergence Meeting held on August 31, HMDA said.