GHMC changes mind, FoB now at Masab Tank

HYDERABAD: The long-pending proposal for a foot overbridge (FoB) at the busy Greenlands Guest House in Begumpet has been dropped by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Instead, the corporation will build an FOB at Mahaveer Hospital-Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) on Masab Tank road. Last week the general body of the municipal corporation approved the proposal for shelving the plan to build an FoB at Greenlands.

There has been a long-pending demand from citizens for an FoB at Greenlands as several accidents involving pedestrians while crossing the roads took place. Even the police commissionerate appealed to the corporation to build an FoB at Greenlands where there is heavy movement of pedestrians and vehicles. FoBs have become essential for safe crossing of roads by pedestrians where there is high-speed motorised traffic. FoBs can minimise conflict between pedestrians and motorists on the busy roads.

In March 2015, the GHMC sanctioned five FoBs in first phase to be built at Tippu Khan Bridge near Langer House, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital at Mehidipatnam, Mahaveer Hospital, Care Hospital on Road.No.1, Banjara Hills and Greenlands Guest House at a total cost of Rs 3.82 crore.

Meanwhile. the SVP National Police Academy (NPA) authorities requested GHMC for an FoB in front of their main gate across the old Bangalore-Hyderabad highway (NH 7).  In view of the frequent requests from NPA authorities to the corporation, the latter decided to take up the construction of FoB at NPA in place of the sanctioned location of Mahaveer Hospital near Masab Tank. At the same time it decided to build 50 FOBs, including the one at Mahaveer Hospital, in the second phase at various locations in public-private partnership mode.

Meantime, a complaint was lodged with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) over delay in construction of FoB at Mahaveer Hospital.