Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made mention of the Musi River purification and restoration process while speaking in the Assembly. He said, however, that the water projects constructed by the Nizams still perform the same service for Hyderabad, but unfortunately, the resources were neglected by the previous governments.
The Chief Minister remarked that the waterscape had been created but mismanaged. There were even farmhouses that occupied the areas encroached upon, with their sewerage systems connected directly to the reservoirs. This was the reason why the illegal connections had been cut off by the authorities. CM Revanth mentioned that, from the Kakatiya to the Nizams, river basin was the focus of every era. The projects like Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, which were already operational by 1922, were also undertaken to guard the city from floods.
Moreover, he remarked on how the previous governments let the rivers be polluted and turned into places where no one could come. Sewage channels were leading into the river Musi, causing the livelihoods of the communities living in the river basin, more so in Nalgonda, to be affected. It was reported that thousands of people living in the area had approached the government for help to rectify the situation.
The government has been exploring different ways of ensuring that the Musi River would always have water flow throughout the year. The worldwide tenders are already issued for the consultants who will be informing and guiding the river purification project. Three firms are working together under a joint venture for the restoration part of the river.
There are plans to move 20 TMC of water from Godavari River. Out of it, the city water supply will get 15 TMC and 5 TMC will go for Gandipet. The CM mentioned the riverfront beautification projects in cities like London, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. In these towns, the riverside areas are not only preserved but also developed as business and commercial precincts.
He cited examples from India as well. In Gujarat, 60,000 families were relocated for the Sabarmati River development. In Uttar Pradesh, the Ganges River cleanup included the creation of a riverfront. CM Revanth stated that similar initiatives aim to restore the Musi River and enhance Hyderabad’s urban landscape
