HYDERABAD: KT Rama Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration, Government of Telangana, on Tuesday, September 6, laid the foundation stone of a solar-roofed cycling track project in Hyderabad.
The 23 km long and 4.5 metres wide track will be constructed alongside the service road of Outer Ring Road (ORR) that will connect Nanakramguda to Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) circle and Narsingi and Kollur. The stretch connecting Nanakramguda and TSPA will be 8.5 km long, and the stretch between Narsingi and Kollur will be 14.5 km long. The minister announced that the project would be completed before the summer of next year.
As per the press reports, Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL), will be building the cycle lanes, and for the solar panel project, the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model will be adopted. Under the RESCO model, the operator will invest in the capital expenditure for solar panels and will maintain the project for the next 25 years, and the power generated will be sold at a discounted price to the government.
Rama Rao later added that once completed, the track will be able to generate 16 MW of electricity with the help of solar panels installed on the roof, and the track will be under 24 ×7 CCTV surveillance to ensure safety. There will be food kiosks, cycle parking docks, toilets, cycle repairing stations and aids centres on the tracks. There will be cycle renting stations, from which cycles could be rented at a nominal charge, and crash barriers for the safety of the bikers.
Hyderabad already has a few dedicated lanes for cyclists around KBR National Park, Hussain Sagar and Hitex. Also, there is a Pala Pitta cycling park in Kothaguda.