Demolition of ‘illegal houses’ around Musi River begins

Hyderabad: As part of the Musi River Front Development Project, a demolition drive was carried out in the catchment areas of the river in the city, amid tight police security on Tuesday.

In the first phase, the officials from the Revenue Department and the Musi Riverfront Development Project demolished the houses in the Musi River catchment areas for the first time. The teams demolished the houses marked RB-X (Riverbed Extreme) at Chaderghat, Musa Nagar, Rasoolpura, Vinayak Nagar and Shankar Nagar.

At Shankar Nagar in Malakpet limits, the officials demolished the houses vacated by the residents voluntarily and shifted them to the double-bedroom houses provided to them by the State government as part of the rehabilitation.

Recently, HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath made it clear that the agency had nothing to do with the demolition activity in the Musi River catchment area.

Congress workers attack KTR’s convoy at Musheerabad

Tension prevailed for a while in Musheerabad following an attack on BRS working president KT Rama Rao allegedly by the Congress workers. KTR was en route to show support for the victims impacted by the beautifying project along the Musi River. Upon knowing the information about the attack, the police stepped in and stopped things from getting worse.

The incident occurred when KTR was travelling to Golnaka in Amberpet constituency to interact with the victims of the beautification project. When the Congress leaders and activists under Motha Rohith’s leadership learned of his coming, they blocked his convoy in Musheerabad. They vandalised the cars and raised ‘Go Back KTR’ slogans.

The enraged Congress activists also demanded an instant apology to minister Konda Surekha and the Congress activists were purportedly attacked outside Telangana Bhavan on Monday. There was a brief but heated standoff as a result of the BRS activists’ equal response. After the police arrived and took charge of the situation, KTR’s convoy was eventually able to depart the area.

Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar lashes out at BRS on Musi River pollution

Reacting to the sharp criticism of KTR on the Musi River Front Development Project, Congress Bhongir MP Ch Kiran Kumar Reddy said that former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao himself told the Assembly that 28,000 buildings are illegal and they should be demolished and people should cooperate with the media.

“People in Hyderabad are facing severe difficulties every time during monsoon. The Opposition parties in the State are playing a dual role and provoking their activists on social media to make unnecessary hue and cry on the initiatives taken by the government,” he said.

The MP said that the Musi River irrigates 30,000 acres directly and ensures water supply for irrigation to 60,000 acres. Musi River has a water storage capacity of 5.5 TMCs. The area covered by the right and left canals is 30,000 acres (14,770 under the right canal, 15,230 under the left canal). Around 60,000 acres of land is cultivated along the Musi River through bores, wells and ponds, he added.

“The pollution of the Musi has a serious impact on health due to the presence of various poisonous substances. Due to human mistakes, selfish interests and the destruction of natural resources for temporary needs, pollution here rivals the most dangerous rivers in the country. Industrial wastes, toxic chemicals, hospital wastes, drainage sewage, landfills, meat waste and animal carcasses are being dumped into it in the erstwhile Nalgonda district. The beautiful river has lost its former glory and cries for attention,” Kiran Kumar Reddy said.

‘Pollution in Musi affected paddy yield in Nalgonda’

The MP further said that paddy yield was reduced gradually in the erstwhile Nalgonda district due to high pollution levels in the Musi River.

Several experts also warned the government to tighten its belt to protect the Musi River for future generations. He recalled that on December 2, 2001, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced a budget of Rs 296 crores for the purification of the water body. Purification of water bodies has been given top priority under the National River Conservation Scheme, he said.

“The State government will take all steps to provide double bedroom houses to the slum dwellers as well as loans to women’s groups, without disturbing the students’ academics. The evil you portray about HYDRAA is a danger to future generations. The HYDRAA is constituted for the betterment of Hyderabad. To showcase Hyderabad as a good city for future generations, sacrifices must be made. It is our responsibility to conserve natural resources. The opposition should be with the people for the program that is good for the people. The opposition is misrepresenting the good programs of the government like HYDRAA,” the MP said.

Chairman of the Congress party media cell Sama Ram Mohan also spoke about how encroachments are polluting the environment.

“Musi River Development is to ensure good health of the river and also the human life around it. The Congress party’s intention is clear that these water spaces of encroachments so that the river can be rejuvenated and all the unhygienic and unhealthy dumping is stopped. This is being done for the good of all people living along the Musi River,” the Congress leader said.

"Musi River Development is to ensure good health of the river and also the human life around it. Congress party's intention is clear that these water spaces must be free of encroachment so that the river can be rejuvenated and all the unhygienic and unhealthy dumping is stopped. This is being done for the good of all people living along the Musi river," said Chairman of Congress party media cell Sama Ram Mohan.

KTR encourages fight against demolitions

KTR urged the afflicted families of the Musi River Beautification Project to fight unitedly and resist the continuing demolitions of their homes. On behalf of the BRS, he promised to provide the displaced people with the necessary legal and physical support to protect their houses.

“Assemble wheelbarrows and brooms in front of your houses drawing inspiration from Chakali Ilamma and Rani Rudrama Devi. If you stay united, we will stand with you, and fight legally, even if it costs Rs 10 crores,” said BRS working president KTR.

KTR interacted with the victims of Musi River catchment areas including Ambedkar Nagar, Annapurna Nagar, New Tulsiram Nagar and surrounding areas in Golnaka of Amberpet constituency.