Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) will transfer 330 acres of govt land to the ministry of defence (MoD) as compensation for acquiring approximately 160 acres of defence land. This land is crucial for the construction of two elevated corridors—from Paradise Junction to Shamirpet, and from Paradise to Dairy Farm Road on Medchal Road.Once the land handover is complete, the state govt will begin construction of the elevated corridors. HMDA officials said that the delay in the project was due to the multiple procedures and clearances involved, especially when dealing with defence land.“Work will commence once an MoU is signed with the MoD,” said HMDA metropolitan commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmad during a media interaction on Saturday.In the meantime, HMDA has begun preliminary works, including the construction of four underground sumps to supply water in cantonment and defence areas. Tenders for compound wall construction have already been finalised. Technical studies are also underway at Begumpet and Hakimpet airports, as the project includes plans for underground tunnels at both locations. Approximately 26 acres of land—one acre from Begumpet and 25 acres from Hakimpet—will be acquired for these segments.Chief minister A Revanth Reddy had laid the foundation stone for the two elevated corridors last year, following the MoD’s in-principle approval for land transfer. The Shamirpet corridor requires 114 acres of defence land and 78 acres of private land, while the Dairy Farm Road corridor needs 42 acres of defence land and 13 acres of private land. The HMDA is following all legal protocols, including socio-economic surveys, for acquiring private land to avoid any legal hurdles.10,590 trees affected, 3,298 to be felledHyderabad: The elevated corridor project will impact a total of 10,593 trees. However, only 3,298—mostly subabul—will be felled, as approved by the tree protection committee of the forest department. “In light of the Kancha Gachibowli issue reaching the Supreme Court and strong objections from environmentalists, we’ve taken every precaution and conducted thorough enumeration,” said HMDA metropolitan commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmad.Of the remaining trees, 4,230, including neem, will be translocated to areas such as Nehru Zoological Park, Hakimpet Sports School, and other HMDA open spaces. Another 3,095 trees will be retained, as they do not directly obstruct the construction footprint of the corridors.