There are drinking water and sewerage pipelines stretching up to several kilometres under main roads, which if not shifted, will pose a danger to the concrete elevated structure on which the Hyderabad Metro Rail will run.
These water and sewer lines were laid by the side of roads decades ago. Since then, the roads have been widened and road dividers realigned; these pipelines now run under the middle of the road, which is where the concrete pillars supporting the metro rail will be constructed.
When Larsen and Toubro (L&T) conducted soil testing, it found the underground water and sewer lines at several places along the proposed metro rail corridors. Later, the Water Board carried out a comprehensive survey and pinpointed the lines that need to be shifted.
The estimated cost of shifting the pipelines is nearly Rs 40 crore. The HMR authorities have agreed to fund the shifting and have also started releasing the money based on estimates being submitted by the Water Board.
“The cost is so high because shifting of pipes alone will not serve the purpose. The pipes are old and made of cast iron and duct iron. We have to replace them with mild steel pipes. The shifting will be done when HMR digs up the road to lay the foundations of the piers,” said an official.
Water Board director (projects) M. Satyanara-yana said that the shifting work will be staggered. “We are working out various plans to ensure that drinking water supply is not affected due to shifting of water pipelines,” he added.