Musi River rejuvenation phase 1 to begin soon: Telangana CM

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday, November 11, said the first phase of Musi River rejuvenation works along 21 km in Hyderabad would begin soon.

Speaking after inaugurating the restored Tammidikunta Lake on Wednesday evening, Reddy also called upon public representatives to shun any pretence and join the effort to rejuvenate Musi.

“Of the total 55 km of Musi, works related to 21 km will start soon. The process is over. All permissions have come. It is in the stage of (finalising) tenders. We are taking up a great Musi revival programme. It is not beautification. It is cleansing of Musi,” the chief minister said.

Historically, civilisations developed on riverbanks and countries which have ‘lake economies’ have seen progress, Reddy said.

“It is the responsibility of this government to ensure that no one suffers during the cleansing and revival of Musi. I am appealing to all public representatives to keep aside any pretence. The development of any city, its economy is around its riverbank,” he said.

Observing that Hyderabad is known as a city of rocks and lakes, he said that out of the 1,372 lakes that once existed in the city, 50 per cent have vanished due to various reasons.

Encroachment of these lakes led to water stagnation on roads during heavy rain and water-logging in the residential localities, he said.

Expressing concern over pollution in the Musi River, he said the people of Nalgonda district, neighbouring Hyderabad, are facing severe hardships.

To ensure a clean environment, the government has decided to revive the Musi River, he said.

“My vision is to preserve nature and strive to promote Hyderabad as a world-class city. As part of this effort, we are restoring the city’s lakes,” Reddy said.

“The lives of the city’s residents are intertwined with the Musi River. The government has resolved to clean the entire river and ensure that there are no encroachments,” he added.

The chief minister also praised filmstar Nagarjuna, who was present on the occasion, for extending support to the revival of the Thammidikunta lake.

“We have expanded the lake – which had shrunk to just 14 acres – to 30 acres. Nagarjuna came forward with a generous heart and handed over two acres of land to the government,” Reddy said, adding that the revived lake would be a major tourism spot.

He also instructed the officials of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and police to take necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of citizens, especially women, at the lake.

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