Citizens Slam Telangana Government Over Sudden Design Change for Hyderabad Flyover Project

Telangana government faces severe public criticism after reversing its road infrastructure plans near the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park in Hyderabad. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation replaced an older project of seven flyovers and seven underpasses around the park with one continuous unified elevated corridor running from Jubilee Hills Checkpost to NFCL Junction.

Project Details

The new construction is split into two packages, covering the stretch from Jubilee Hills Check Post to Banjara Hills Road No.2, and onward to Muffakhkam Jah College with a dedicated connecting ramp to Banjara Hills Road No.1. GHMC officials stated that new tenders will not be called because the previous contractor already finished fifty percent of the work on the earlier design. The sanctioned cost for the project stays at one thousand ninety crore rupees, while officials claim the design change saves twelve hundred crore rupees by cutting down on high-value land acquisition and construction costs. GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan stated during a site inspection on Monday that the design was altered after observing how one-way traffic flow reduced congestion on the stretch.

Public Backlash

Social media platforms saw strong pushback from citizens and experts regarding the abrupt shift and the loss of greenery and resources. City-based architect Shankar Narayan questioned how an infrastructure proposal could change so radically in a month without clear traffic studies. Sustainable transport advocate Prashanth Bachu criticized the lack of public consultation, alternative assessments, and explanations for the pricing. Uday Krishna from Vata Foundation pointed out the lack of details regarding money already spent on the earlier work. The Save KBR citizens' group highlighted the absence of a Detailed Project Report and the destruction of age-old trees. Green activist Natasha Ramarathnam asked who would take responsibility for the money spent on excavation and the loss of trees and rocks. GHMC officials blamed traffic police for delaying the one-way experiment by at least six months, adding that scrapping the contract now would trigger legal problems.

Context

Large urban infrastructure projects often face difficult choices when balancing traffic management needs against environmental preservation and public consultation. Public green spaces like national parks located within major cities frequently become focal points for tension between urban expansion and environmental conservation.