Hyderabad to get solar-roof cycle track

Hyderabad: A unique solar roof cycle track, which could turn out to be quite a trendsetter, is being developed at Kokapet on a pilot basis. The track is part of the 21-km solar cycling track proposed on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) by the Telangana government. “The track is being developed on a pilot basis […]

Hyderabad: A unique solar roof cycle track, which could turn out to be quite a trendsetter, is being developed at Kokapet on a pilot basis. The track is part of the 21-km solar cycling track proposed on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) by the Telangana government.

“The track is being developed on a pilot basis and after it is approved by the State government, a similar model will be adopted for the entire 21-km stretch,” an official from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) said.

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Tenders have recently been invited for the construction of the cycle track, installing the solar panel and other works along the ORR service road. The track will stretch for 13 km from Narsingi to Kollur and 8 km from Nanakramguda to the Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA). It will be developed between the service road and the main carriageway of the ORR.

Unlike existing cycle tracks in the city and the ones that are under construction in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) jurisdiction, this cycle track offers protection for cyclists from sun, rain and other harsh weather conditions, besides isolating them from regular traffic and ensuring their safety.

The benefits offered to cyclists do not end here. Food courts, surveillance cameras, drinking water and bicycle repair shops would also come up for the track. Another feature that makes this facility one of its kind will be 24×7 illumination. The power requirement for the lighting is to be generated from the solar-panelled roof, making the project self-sustainable.

“Around 9MW of power can be generated through the solar roofing of the cycle track. This energy will be utilised for drip irrigation and streetlights along the ORR,” HMDA officials said, adding that a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model has been adopted for the project.

Accordingly, a RESCO operator will invest a total initial capital expenditure for solar panels and maintain it for 25 years and supply power to the department at a discounted price.