In areas across Shastripuram – that represents ward No. 58 in the GHMC purview, the quantum of traffic on roads increases to many folds during the last five years while the issue of the railway crossing at Uddamgadda too adding woes to the people leaving around.
This railway crossing became a perennial issue for several years as unlike in the past the human presence has significantly increased in the area that shares the roads with National Highway No. 44, PVNR Express Way, Shamshabad International Airport, National Police Academy Shivrampally, and Nehru Zoological Park Bahadurpura.
“People coming from all the directions have to stop for at least 3 to 15 minutes according to the length and load of the impending train that passes through the crossing. The vehicular traffic would be seen stranded in a serpentine queue for almost half a kilometers both sides especially during the peak hours soon after the electric bars grounded causing great inconvenience to the commuters especially to locals,” informed Mohd. Affan, owner of Al-Sana Hotel near the railway crossing.
“Several representations were made to the local representatives from Corporator to MLA during the last several years with regard to the issue but no solution was yet coming out instead of promises and assurances of ‘railway over the bridge’ (ROB) to overcome the issue,” rued Syed Shoukat Ali, a senior resident of Shastripuram Colony.
It is said that a grade separator (ROB/RUB) was proposed at L.C.No.7, Uddam Gadda, Shastripuram (for Secunderabad – Falaknuma – Shivrampally Railway Line) to allow free flow of the traffic from Mailardevpally to Falaknuma RTC Bus Depot during the Standing committee meeting held on 13th April 2017 and the same was approved unanimously on cost-sharing basis between the civic body and the Railways.
As per resolution 112 of the GHMC Standing Committee, the civic body would agree to bear 75 percent of the overall cost of four-lane ROB project while the remaining 25 percent will bore by the Railways itself.
Thereafter, the matter was once again discussed through resolution No.115 on 30th November 2017 with a proposal of road widening for the construction of ROB at Uddamgadda Railway Gate, Shastripuram, and another resolution No.309 was brought on 25th August 2018 that says about administrative sanctioning for construction of ROB/RUB at L.C.No.7 Udamgadda, Shastripuram with a cost of Rs. 71 crores including land acquisition for the financial year 2018-19.
However, nothing has been materialized so far and the situation remains the same adding difficulties to the local residents as well as the road users identically.
And another resolution No. 183 on 7th December 2017 was brought on 7th December 20017 proposing a reduction of road width from 150’ feet to 100 feet duly acquiring 130 properties getting affected under the Road Development Project.
The GHMC also proposed the comprehensive development of a sports center in Shastripuram Colony in the year 2018 with an estimated cost of 600 lakhs and this too fails to take shape even after two years.
“All the development works aiming at Shastripuram ward remain on the paper while several resolutions were brought, placed, and passed unanimously. More so, there are several colonies in the ward still lacking formal sewerage lines. Only stormwater lines are being used as sewerage passage,” said Syed Shoukat.
