Tank Bund

When you think of the biggest and safest urban lung space in Hyderabad with a waterbody embellishing the natural beauty, it is the Tank Bund of Hussain Sagar that crosses one’s mind. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has launched the development work on both sides of the arterial Tank Bund Road to bring it back to life and make it the best and safest urban open place for people to unwind along with their families.

  • New urban design intended to build a pleasant streetscape
  • Specially designed modern ducts for creating a proper drain system
  • Cast iron poles for lamp posts
  • New state of the art bus shelters
  • The longest green lung space in the city.
  • The installation of separate crane bays to ensure the sidewalks are not damaged during Ganesh Chathurthi festival

Background

Whether you grew up as a kid in Kukatpally or Secunderabad or LB Nagar, a visit to Hussain Sagar invokes a lovely memory. The lake in the shape of a heart naturally symbolizes love. The 18-metre-tall Buddha Statue, the 2.2-km-long Tank Bund Road, dotted with the War Trophy, Patton Tank and all the statues of icons of Telugu culture, has established an emotional connection with the people of Hyderabad.

While the Tank Bund was developed into a Tourist attraction by the Nizams, in contemporary history, it was Chief Minister N T Rama Rao who set his sight on developing the landscape and installing statues of cultural icons. After close to 35 years, the Tank Bund is being revisited with a massive development program by Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao.

Conceived with a new urban design intended to build a pleasant streetscape, the State Government intends to make it more people-friendly and draw more tourist footprints. People can walk along admiring the beauty of the place.

Project Details

The HMDA is decking up both sides of the Tank Bund Road to enhance its beauty by providing new facilities for the public to enjoy. The advanced technology used for laying footpaths with flamed granite and granite kerbs will make them more durable.

Specially designed modern ducts are provided for an effective drain system to clear the storm water to prevent water stagnation. Separate ducts have been provided for electric cables, optical fiber and other cables running through the sidewalks of the Tank Bund Road to avoid digging. A new technology was adopted for creating the ducts so that any repair could be executed without causing much damage.

Cast iron poles for Victorian style lamp posts, new bus shelters and exclusive lounges set in gazebos are created. Street furniture, small businesses, and cultural activities would enhance the glory of the place. The biggest attraction of the Tank Bund is its 2.2-km green lung space which is the longest in the city.

A planter box was created along the road for putting up small decorative plants to enhance the glory and grandeur of the garden side pavement.

To help the people to park their vehicles, different parking bays were created for four wheelers and two wheelers. Waiting lounges with seating have been set up near the parking bays.

Highlights

The Foundation

The work began with the digging of a 400-mm-deep trench. Then plain cement concrete (PCC) was laid in it. A layer of an RCC surface with steel was put to ensure permanent removal of undulations. Permanent pipes were laid with intermediate chambers for intervention purposes based on need. Entire cabling is packaged and necessary lengths of cable could be pulled inside the cable ducts.

Urban Functionality Check

With a view to ensuring that water does not stagnate on the road or pavements, saucer drains were laid so that the water moves through the pipelines (water ducts) laid across the road at identified points to run through gravity. This helps stagnant water getting drained out of the roads.

Aesthetic Vision

The walkway was beautified with Mahogany Grey and bush-hammered granite slabs with honed granite. The advantage with bush-hammered finish is to ensure that it is anti-skid. On the waterfront, a 2-km-long; nine-inch beam was laid and the railing was installed on the beam. This helps a fortified railing and also enhances the strength of the embankment. The railing was specially designed to give a classic look to the entire stretch of the grills with rich aesthetics. The railings were fabricated with cast iron.