Hyderabad Metro near Charminar: Telangana HC allows petitioner to play audiovisual presentation on next date as respondent seeks more time for theirs

A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin directed both parties to make the presentation on February 4, 2026, to apprise the court of the project’s adverse impact on heritage sites as claimed by the petitioner and vice versa.

The PIL, specifically challenging works within Charminar Heritage Precinct No. 10, Falaknuma Precinct No. 12, and other heritage precincts in the old city of Hyderabad, filed by the Act Public Welfare Foundation (APWF), was taken up along with a connected writ petition filed by advocate M D Omer. They claimed that the works on the proposed route would damage several notified heritage structures, and a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment study needs to be conducted first, and statutory approvals need to be obtained.

AV presentation in final stages: HAML

Appearing for the HAML, additional advocate general Md Imran Khan informed the court Thursday that the presentation was in the final stages of preparation and would be ready before the next date of hearing. On December 18, 2025, he had informed the Court that he would prepare a projected simulation using artificial intelligence with all the heritage structures marked in red. During another hearing on November 6, 2025, the bench had sought a “detailed sketch” from the Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) regarding its proposed metro rail alignment in the old city of Hyderabad, by duly noting the status of structures of heritage and religious significance.

Advocate Immaneni Rama Rao, the counsel for APWF, also sought the court’s permission to make a similar presentation on behalf of the petitioners, showing how the proposed route would be damaging heritage structures enroute. The court then allowed the instant Interlocutory Application filed by the petitioner and adjourned the matter to be posted to February 4, 2026, for visual presentation by both parties.