Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has initiated a drone survey in the Old City to gather precise data for the Metro Rail alignment and property assessment.
This survey aims to accurately measure properties earmarked for acquisition and those affected by the road expansion between Darulshifa Junction and Shalibanda Junction, as well as for the construction of metro stations, HMRL managing director NVS Reddy said.
A big challenge for metro construction is the presence of 103 religious and other sensitive structures, including 21 mosques, 12 temples, 12 Ashoor Khanas, 33 dargahs, seven cemeteries, and six chillas. The drone survey will play a crucial role in devising engineering solutions to protect these structures. Metro alignment and pillar locations are being strategically planned to minimize adverse impacts on these sensitive sites, he said.
“The use of drones for the survey enables efficient data collection in real-time, high-resolution imagery, 3D modeling, seamless integration of GIS (Geographic Information System) data and CAD software, as well as data analysis and visualization,” Reddy said.
In addition to the existing MGBS station, the 5.5 km metro route in the Old City will encompass four new stations — Salarjung Museum, Charminar (located approximately 500 meters from these two iconic monuments), Shalibanda, and Falaknuma.
Notably, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced a budget of Rs 500 crore for the metro rail project in the Old City of Hyderabad.