The ministry of defence has ordered an extension of the deadline for its plans to close the Gough Road in the Secunderabad Cantonment by another six months to November 30.
This comes as a relief to thousands of commuters who use the road every day.
This also comes two weeks after the army put out an official communiqué stating that the road would be shut off for civilians from June 1.
A report in the Times of India adds:
However, a major challenge ahead for the Telangana government now is to develop alternative roads within six months. Talks are underway about handing over a 25-acre defence land, abutting the AOC, Safilguda, for construction of the new road. A joint inspection by the LMA and GHMC was also done.
"As per the survey , a rail over bridge (RoB) near R K Puram has to be constructed and for that we have to seek permission from South Central Railway . Another major task is acquiring the defence land.Though LMA claims that the MoD is willing to give the land, so far we have not received official communication from the LMA regarding handing over the 25-acre land," a senior GHMC official told TOI.
The Gough Road is used by thousands of residents of Marredpally, Trimulgherry, Sainikpuri as a link to get to Hyderabad and this move by the army has left many civilians infuriated.
It started in February 2014, when the army put out a notice which claimed that the entire area would be blocked, and the general public was advised to use main roads to reach their destination.
Following protests by welfare associations, a case in the Hyderabad high court and multiple delegations visiting Parrikar, the army authorities had put off the move until now.
The alternate road that people will currently have to take is narrow, crowded and witnesses a traffic jam at least two or three times a day, citizens say.
In November last year, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wrote to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and extended the deadline to May 31, to give the GHMC time to build alternative roads.