ROB proposal delays RUB at railway gate in Malkajgiri
People have to wait at the railway gate in Vajpayee Nagar area of Malkajgiri at least 16 times a day for it to open up after a train passes by. They have been doing so since past 11 years. Regular commuters passing through the area have been hoping all these years for either a Road Over Bridge (ROB) or Road Under Bridge (RUB).
“The bridge project at Vajpayee Nagar had been mooted 11 years ago. But it is still pending, affecting lakhs of commuters. Sometimes, I see ambulances waiting in the traffic despite the emergency,” observed Robin Zacccheus, a resident of Malkajgiri.
While residents are toughing it out on the roads, officials of South Central Railway (SCR) attribute the delay to state government, which originally wanted an ROB. “But the approach road is too narrow. We require anywhere between 400–450 metres of land for the ROB. Since it is not possible, we have sent proposals for an RUB,” a source in SCR told Deccan Chronicle.
There are considerable built-up structures near the railway fate, including multistoreyed buildings, a temple and other structures, where land acquisition is quite difficult.
The estimated cost of the RUB is `32.32 crore of which railways will contribute `13.04 crore. The state government share is `19.28 crore, though it has sanctioned `21.13 crore.
Currently, the revised General Approval Drawing (GAD) of the project is under the process of approval. Once approved, it will be sent to the state government for its consent. Construction of the bridge will start only then, subject to availability of land and removal of obstructions.