RTI seeks Musi project details; Telangana govt says DPR still under preparation

Hyderabad: In an RTI reply, the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (MRDCL) has stated that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Musi rejuvenation project is ‘under preparation stage.’

The RTI was filed by social activist Kareem Ansari, enquiring about various aspects of the project. The RTI asked for the concept proposal, an estimate of houses that will need removal and a map of the project, along with its DPR.

However, in the reply, the MRDCL could only state that the following information is not available since the DPR is under preparation. It stated that even the extent of land acquisition can only be determined after the DPR is finalised.

Musi project – a prestige undertaking for Congress govt

The Musi project has garnered much attention as one of the State government’s promises to open new avenues for advancing Telangana’s economy and tourism, aimed at transforming Hyderabad’s future into global hubs like Tokyo and New York. The CM has repeatedly mentioned that the project is one of the State government’s ambitious plans, such as the Bharat Future City.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has worked on garnering support for the project on local and international fronts. The project has even featured in recent discussions with an American delegation of prominent US business leaders and in his trips to Delhi to meet the Central ministers.

Loan approved without DPR

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the Union government has approved a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Musi Riverfront Development Project. As per the agreement with the State government, ADB will disburse Rs 4,100 crore in the first phase.

However, the DPR is still pending, as seen in the RTI reply.

What did the CM say about DPR?

In October last year, the CM rejected the Opposition’s claims about the project, stating that the project will revitalise the river and not just ‘beautify it’. He said he is prepared for a special Assembly session to discuss the Musi River Rejuvenation project.

“I won’t bother to take the blame from the Opposition parties. Five companies, including Meinhardt, RIOS, Cushman and Wakefield, in association with ZHA and SOM, have formed a consortium to draft a DPR (Detailed Project Report) for the Musi River rejuvenation project, which will be submitted in the next 18 months. The consortium has been given 6.5 years to complete the project. In three to four months, an interim report will be submitted by the consortium. The agreement value for preparing the DPR is Rs 141 crores,” the chief minister had said.

What did last year’s survey say about habitations around Musi?

Last year, as part of the Musi Riverfront Development Project, the Telangana government said it had identified as many as 2,166 permanent structures on the Musi River and its catchment areas in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts.

These are among the 10,200 encroachments in the catchment area of the Musi River in these three districts, the officials said.

Then MD of the Musi River Front Development Corporation, Dana Kishore, had said, around 1,600 structures related to private individuals were identified for removal during the survey.

Complaints of forceful relocation under project

The opposition leaders and sections of civil society have criticised the project. The issues raised include the forceful removal of homes and commercial buildings from the surrounding areas to irreparable damage to the natural ecosystem in the name of development.

Last year in October, tensions ensued in the city when revenue and Musi project’s officials began demolishing houses in the catchment areas. The Opposition BRS and the Congress leaders criticised each other over the project's execution and intent.

While BRS encouraged ‘affected families’ to resist the demolitions of their homes, Congress leaders spoke about how the encroachments are polluting the river and said that suitable rehabilitation, such as double-bedroom houses, has been provided as compensation even before the demolitions have started.