Hyderabad: After HYDRA, the Congress government in Telangana is likely to face heat with its plan to develop Musi riverfront. As teams from the revenue department began conducting surveys and marking the structures that had come up in the river buffer zone, residents began raising hue and cry. These survey teams are facing stiff resistance from the public.
While HYDRA demolitions were primarily targeted at the properties of the rich and wealthy, the government may have to clear many encroachments along the Musi River. The lower and middle classes made up the majority of those encroachments.
Already, opposition parties had set their sights on the Revanth Reddy government following the demolition of several middle-class properties by the HYDRA. In the coming days, the government's Musi Riverfront development plans may spill over into major confrontation with opposition parties.
The Musi Riverfront development project is being seen as one of the main priorities of the Congress government. The project proposes to revitalise the ecosystem surrounding the Musi River. It aims to improve 110 square kilometres of urban area. As part of this project, recreation zones, public plazas, children's theme parks, and entertainment zones will be developed.
The project received an allocation of around Rs 1500 crore in the previous budget. The survey by officials began on Thursday in the catchment areas of the Musi River. The survey is being conducted under police protection to prevent any tensions. In Hyderabad district, 16 teams were deployed to conduct the survey.
Officials have been conducting surveys with four teams in Rangareddy district and five teams each in the Medchal and Malkajgiri areas. Measurements were taken in Ibrahimbagh and Ashram Nagar within Golconda Mandal limits. Revenue officials also inspected the Musi catchment areas in Chaderghat, Moosanagar, and Shankarnagar within the Old City limits.
In areas like Kothapet, Maruthi Nagar, and Satya Nagar, residents stopped officials and blocked their efforts to survey their areas. The residents made it clear that they would not leave their homes. Due to public resistance, the survey teams had to stop their work.
As soon as A Revanth Reddy took over the reins of Telangana, he unveiled his plans for the Musi River Front Development Project. During his trip to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF), he also visited London to study development that had taken place along the Thames. Revanth wanted to replicate the Thames River front development in Hyderabad along Musi.
“People have been deceived by the Congress party until 20 years ago, and then by the BRS government for the past 10 years. During previous governments' tenure, even houses built 20–30 years ago are now being demolished as illegal by the current government. Who can these people turn to in their suffering? Governments should enact strict laws that also hold accountable those who created fake layouts, deceived people, encouraged investments, and illegally sold lands. Otherwise, many ordinary families are silently weeping and ending up on the streets due to these demolitions. The government's use of bulldozers to demolish homes built after paying all required taxes, property taxes, and bank loans is unjust," said union minister and BJP state president, G Kishan Reddy, in a letter to Revanth Reddy on Thursday.
The letter also added, "Finally, a suggestion for you: Don't show aggression towards the poor. Discuss with the affected people and take other stakeholders into account. Thousands of people live in the Musi catchment area. This area also provides for many people's livelihoods. Considering their livelihood aspect, extensive discussions should be held with stakeholders. Along with the Musi, there should be no hasty policies regarding demolitions in other areas as well.”