Banjara Hills Goes Wire-Free: Rs 4,051 Crore Underground Cabling Approved

Banjara Hills is about to lose its overhead wires. The Telangana government has cleared a Rs 4,051 crore proposal from the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) to convert overhead electricity lines into underground cables across the city's core Metro zone. The State government has approved the TGSPDCL's plans for conversion of overhead lines to underground cabling in the Metro zone in the city with an estimated cost of Rs 4,051 crore, with GO Ms. 43 issued to formalise the sanction.

The project's footprint is significant. The TGSPDCL had submitted a Detailed Project Report for conversion of overhead lines to underground cable in the Metro zone covering Banjara Hills circle, Secunderabad circle, Hyderabad Central and Hyderabad South Circle to the State government. In scale terms, the sanctioned plan will convert nearly 3,900 km of overhead electricity lines into a modern underground cabling network across Hyderabad's core metro zones, spanning 33 kV, 11 kV and Low-Tension (LT) networks on major roads.

On execution, the utility plans to place different voltage lines together wherever feasible. TGSPDCL proposed to take up underground cabling of the complete existing network (33 kV, 11 kV and LT) on main roads, while for the distribution network in lanes and narrow areas, LT lines are proposed with AB cable, a safer insulated alternative to bare conductors. The proposal also includes more than 2,300 km of 11 kV HDD works, 6,251 km of LT line conversion, and the installation of over 14,000 Ring Main Units (RMUs), giving a sense of the sheer scale of trenching and equipment involved.

Funding will not come from the state budget directly. The project cost would be met from the TGSPDCL's internal funds or through borrowing by TGSPDCL, and the utility would also ensure the participation of telecom and internet service providers and T-Fiber in underground cabling on a cost-sharing basis, so that multiple utilities share the same trench and minimise repeated road digging. TGSPDCL Managing Director Musharraf Faruqui said the project estimate was calculated based on existing rates as per SSR, underlining that the costing follows standard schedule of rates rather than an ad-hoc figure.

This Banjara Hills-led phase sits within a much larger vision. This initiative aligns with the recently announced Rs 14,725 crore underground electricity and multi-utility cable system for expanded GHMC areas, demonstrating the government's commitment to modernising Hyderabad's infrastructure. However, that wider citywide programme has hit headwinds recently: as part of the first phase, TGSPDCL prepared proposals to convert overhead power lines into underground cables in the Metro zone at an estimated cost of Rs 4,051 crore, but officials have since acknowledged that the broader project has not progressed as planned, pointing to funding constraints on the larger rollout even as the Banjara Hills-focused phase moves ahead under its own sanction.

For residents and investors, the practical upside is clear. Officials note the objective is to improve the quality and reliability of power supply, besides reducing the maintenance cost, which would attract industries and other investments into the Metro zone. Underground networks are also far less vulnerable to storm and rain-related outages than overhead lines strung across busy roads, an especially relevant benefit for a monsoon-prone city like Hyderabad. Cleaner streetscapes, fewer power cuts and reduced visual clutter from tangled wires all directly enhance the everyday livability and long-term desirability of a premium address like Banjara Hills.

Banjara Hills has long been one of Hyderabad's most sought-after residential addresses, home to Prestige Group's own Banjara Hills developments in the Green Valley pocket. Infrastructure upgrades of this scale typically reinforce a locality's premium positioning over the medium term, adding to the appeal of an address that already commands some of the city's highest per-square-foot values. Homebuyers evaluating projects in the area now have one more reason to factor future-ready infrastructure into their decision.