#2022TheYearThatWas: Hyderabad witnesses too many epoch-making events

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad had a very Happening year in 2022 with a slew of successful developments all over the city.

The opening of T-Hub 2.0 and the Statue of Equality (Ramanjucharya statue), the Indian Racing League (IRL), the restoration of the Bansilalpet step-well, and the much-anticipated foundation laying for the Hyderabad Airport Express Metro were all popular events that enhanced the glory and grandeur of the well-known IT-Hub in India in the year 2022.

These events garnered a lot of attention across the country.

T-Hub 2.0

T-Hub 2.0 which was inaugurated on June 28, 2022 by Telangana Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was built at an estimated cost of Rs 276 crore in an area covering 5.82 lakh square feet and the building has been designed by a Korean company. This T-Hub 2.0 serves as a microcosm of the innovation ecosystem, which is home to over 2,000 startups, corporations, investors, academia, and national and international ecosystem enablers. The Telangana government invested in T-Hub's second phase with the goal of incubating the next generation of startups that would be strong pillars of the Indian economy in the future. 

Statue of Equality

The Statue of Equality, a massive 216-foot structure in Telangana, was inaugurated in February 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The statue, which was erected on the outskirts of Hyderabad, honours the 11th-century saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the concept of equality in all aspects of life, including faith, caste, and creed. The Rs 1,000 crore statue was designed by spiritual guru Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, who also belongs to the Ramanujacharya’s sect. The statue is said to be the world's second tallest in a sitting position.

 Bansilalpet step-well

The Telangana government, which is doing everything possible to protect, conserve, and restore Hyderabad's rich heritage, has received widespread praise for reviving the 17th century Bansilalpet step-well. The Bansilalpet step-well, also known as "Nagannakunta," which was dilapidated, damaged, and covered in trash and litter, was renovated by the state government in collaboration with the Rain Water Project. The renovation of this Nizam-era stepwell in Hyderabad's Bansilalpet neighbourhood took 500 days, while over a 1,000 workers, and over 100 professionals worked on it.

This step-well in Secunderabad, whose excavation required the clearance of about 2,000 tonnes of waste that had collected over the last 40 years, has been fully repaired and illuminated, and is now a well-liked tourist destination in the city.

 Hyderabad Airport Metro Express

The Hyderabad Airport Express Metro project, which would connect Mindspace Junction in Madhapur with Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad, was announced by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasehkar Rao in November 2022. On December 9, 2022, Chief Minister KCR laid the foundation stone for the 31-km Metro Corridor. The Rs 6,250 crore project would be completed in three years.

In contrast to Phase I Metro Rail, which is elevated, Phase II Metro Rail would have elevated, ground-level, and underground tracks.

Divided in life but united in death at Mukti Ghat

India’s first multi-faith crematorium, Muktighat, at L.B. Nagar, was inaugurated by Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao on December 7. The 6.5-acre facility has earmarked areas to perform last rites according to Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faiths. A provision was also made to watch the last rites online. All the crematoriums have a dedicated office room, cold storage, prayer hall, toilet block, last-journey vehicles, and parking space. A 50 KLD sewerage treatment plant and 140 KW solar plants were also built on the premises.

Hyderabad-based space tech Skyroot Aerospace creates history in 2022

Skyroot Aerospace, a T-Hub incubated company, based in Hyderabad, created history in November 2022 when it successfully launched India's first privately built satellite launch vehicle, Vikram-S, into suborbital space. As part of Mission Prarambh, ISRO launched a single-stage rocket in white and blue from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre's Sounding Rocket Complex, ushering in a new era in India's private space sector.

Dhruva Aerospace

The Indian Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and ISRO facilitated the launch of Dhruva Space's Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 nano satellites onboard ISRO's PSLV C54 on November 27. The satellite launch was part of the Hyderabad-based private start-up Thybolt Mission and took off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Indian Racing League

Hyderabad hosted the first and final races of the inaugural edition of the India’s first-ever street circuit races Indian Racing League(IRL), at the Hussain Sagar Lake, on November 19 and December 11 respectively. Telangana Minister KTR on November 19, 2022, flagged off the Indian Racing League on the banks of Hussainsagar. A large crowd gathered to watch the exciting race on the 2.7-km-long Hyderabad Street Circuit, the country's only street circuit.