Hyderabad: Over 550 demolitions have been completed as part of the ongoing Old City Metro rail project in Hyderabad, affecting 886 properties instead of the initially estimated 1,100.

According to Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) managing director NVS Reddy, compensation amounting to Rs 433 crore has been disbursed to property owners so far.

The land acquisition is crucial for the 7.5-km metro stretch from MGBS to Chandrayangutta. It is part of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Phase-II project.

“Works for Metro pillars and station work are progressing at a rapid rate. Our main focus includes differential GPS surveys for precision mapping, identifying and relocating underground utilities, soil testing and geotechnical analysis and protection of sensitive heritage structures along the route,” he said on Sunday, September 7.

Reddy said that the Old City metro corridor has been segmented for accurate positioning using high-precision GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers, vital for survey and mapping operations.

“We are identifying and diverting underground obstacles at pillar locations. As per the master plan, the road is being widened to 100 feet,” he said.