The Telangana government's Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) faced a new hurdle on Thursday after AIMIM MLA from Chandrayangutta Akbaruddin Owaisi stalled the work on a flyover at Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre at Santoshnagar and Bahadurpura.
The SRDP is part of the state's plan to construct multi-layer flyovers over 20 junctions in the city. However, the flyover would come at the cost of a section of KBR Park’s green cover and many other structures in the old city area.
Reporting for the Times of India, Koride Mahesh wrote:
The MLA, who is also managing director of Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre, reportedly told Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials that the proposed flyover in front of their hospital would impact the hospital entrance.He reportedly told the GHMC officials that there was no need for a flyover as the road is wide enough for the current traffic volume.
"The road is part of inner ring road and connects Shamshabad International Airport. The project is being taken up keeping in view future needs and growing traffic volume," a senior engineering official overseeing SRDP told TOI.
Quoting sources, TOI also reported that the authorities at Owaisi Hospital did not allow GHMC officials to survey the road in front of the hospital.
After weeks of protests by activists and environmentalists in Hyderabad, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in July, directed the Telangana government to maintain status quo around KBR park and also stayed its controversial government order (GO 19) issued on May 13.
In its latest hearing on September 30, the NGT asked the Telangana government for a Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
The next hearing in the case has been posted for October 26.