The 23-km-long and 4.5 metre-wide track will generate 16 MW of electricity.
Once completed, the track would run beside the city’s IT centre, with three cycle lanes and 1-metre wide green space on either side.
The construction of sustainable solar roof cycling track around Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road (ORR) is nearing completion. It is expected to be inaugurated in the first week of September.
This 23-kilometre track is first-of-its-kind and is designed to be environmentally-friendly.
According to the Special Chief Secretary for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), the civil work on bike path around the ORR is almost finished.
The MA&UD personnel is now working on projects involving beautification and the addition of plants to the cycling track. Construction on the cycling track’s solar rooftop panels is set to begin in the next 10 days, he said.
The planned cycle track with solar roofing can accommodate three cycle lanes and 1-metre wide green space on either side of the way. In addition, the cycle track can generate 16 MW of power through its solar roof, which would be used for ORR lighting, drip irrigation and other power requirements of the expressway.
Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL), a wing of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), is implementing the plan inspired by such facilities in South Korea.
Cycle Track Route
The three-lane track consists of two stretches: one is 8.5 kilometres long, running from Nanakramguda to Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA), and the other is 14.5 kilometres long, stretching from Kollur to Narsingi. These two stretches converge at Narsingi Junction.
solar roof cycling track map (Twitter)A completed stretch of the project at night (HGCL)Cycle track with IT office towers in the background (HGCL)Cycle track with solar panels (Twitter)
Cyclists can access the track from various parts of the city through the four entry points located at Nanakramguda, Narsingi, TSPA, and Kollur. This allows them to enjoy a leisurely ride surrounded by greenery.
A major highlight of the 100-crore project is its sustainability factor. The project features 16MW solar panels fixed on the roof, which eliminates the need for 64 acres of land typically required for solar panels.
The use of the roof for solar panels saves land and generates power, making the project naturally sustainable. Additionally, the roof provides protection from sun, rain, and pollution, as well as helps prevent accidents.
Although there may be around 40 days of low power production in Hyderabad due to varying radiation levels, the remaining 11 months will see good production, reports The Hindu.
The project incorporates various features to ensure safety and security. It includes around 50 CCTV cameras at entry and exit points, which are monitored by the police department.
The path is guarded by V-shaped columns made of SS steel. The roofing sheets, sourced from a factory in Ahmedabad and fabricated on-site, are made of GI with anodised coating.
The design of the panels was customised in collaboration with experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, and Osmania University’s College of Engineering. The project aims to create modular pieces for easy installation and maintenance.