Musi River beautification cost Rs 1.5 Lakh Crores: CM Revanth
Is it possible to clean Musi River and beautify it?
Will the Telangana government spend billions of rupees?
Can we prevent sewage from mixing into the Musi River?
Can we see a Musi River flowing with clean water?
Politicians have long promised to transform Old City into an Istanbul-like area, purify Hussain Sagar, and revamp the Musi River to resemble the Thames in London. However, these have remained mere announcements without any practical implementation in recent years. Former Chief Minister KCR had previously promised Musi River cleaning, and now Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has declared that development will proceed with an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. Is the cleaning of the Musi River, which has been flowing since before Hyderabad was established, feasible? Can the Telangana government allocate funds for the beautification of the Musi River? Will the Musi River cleaning and beautification project ever come to fruition?
Hyderabad, with its approximately 430-year history, once considered the Musi River as its jewel. In fact, the city of Hyderabad was established based on the Musi River. Along with Charminar, the Musi River, Hussain Sagar, and the Old City have become major landmarks of Hyderabad. For about three decades, the Musi River supplied drinking water to Hyderabad, but over time, it has turned into a cesspool of waste. Currently, aside from the fact that the water from the Musi River is not fit for drinking, it has become virtually impossible to even stand in the surrounding areas. The growing population of Hyderabad and the lack of an adequate sewage system in the expanding city have led to the pollution of the Musi River. It has deteriorated to such an extent that it is now unbearable due to its stench and the disrepair of its conditions.
Starting from the undivided Andhra Pradesh era, many governments have made promises for the cleaning of the Musi River even after the formation of Telangana state. However, none of the efforts by these governments have succeeded. One reason could be the lack of funds amounting to thousands of crores, while another reason could be the absence of a well-thought-out plan. After the formation of Telangana, the KCR government tried to clean Hussain Sagar and the Musi River. Specifically regarding the development of the Musi River, the KCR government prepared numerous plans in the past. They even established the Musi River Development Board for the cleaning and beautification of the Musi River. However, none of these plans were implemented.
All previous governments had failed in their attempts to redirect the sewage and industrial effluents flowing into the Musi River. The KCR government, upon coming to power for the second time, resolved to construct a massive expressway along the length of the Musi River. This expressway, planned to be built from Manchirevula to Nagole, was estimated to cost about Rs 10,000 crore. Although then-Minister KTR had announced that 15 large bridges would be constructed over the Musi River, none of these plans came to fruition. When work on the beautification of the Musi River was about to begin, the Assembly election process in Telangana started. Subsequently, in the November assembly elections, the Congress party won and formed the government in Telangana.
Now, the Revanth Reddy government has refocused on the Musi River cleaning project. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has announced that the Musi River will be developed with an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crores. He stated that the beautification work of the Musi River will begin soon. CM Revanth Reddy promised that the Musi River will be developed as a beautiful and tourist-friendly location, similar to the famous Thames River in London. He assured that, within the next five years, efforts will be made to make the Musi River a global tourist attraction. However, there are murmurs of skepticism about whether spending Rs 1.5 lakh crores over five years for the cleaning and beautification of the Musi River is feasible. According to CM Revanth’s announcement, Rs 30,000 crores will need to be spent annually for the development of the Musi River.
Implementing six guarantees, other development and welfare programs, and managing debts and interest—these will require hundreds of thousands of crores. In such challenging circumstances, doubts are arising about whether it is feasible to spend Rs 1.5 lakh crores on the Musi River in five years. Experts argue that merely spending money is not enough for the Musi River’s cleaning and beautification; many neglected systems will need to be addressed. Currently, there are 20 small and large bridges over the Musi River. With approximately 3 million vehicles using the Musi River daily, this number is expected to reach 6 million in the next decade. To handle future traffic congestion, officials previously recommended constructing 16 to 18 new bridges in various locations across the Musi River.
The Musi River area has been encroached upon for approximately 50 kilometers. Experts say that removing these encroachments is not an easy task. Additionally, industrial waste from industries on the outskirts of the city must be prevented from entering the Musi River. Experts recommend setting up a specialized system to remove silt and prevent sewage from accumulating in the river. Measures must be taken to ensure that sewage, garbage, and other waste do not mix with the Musi River. Approximately 30 check dams should be constructed in the Musi River to develop sewage treatment systems. Only then would there be a possibility for the cleaning and beautification of the Musi River, according to experts.
According to experts, the Rs 1.5 lakh crore proposed by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the Musi River cleaning and beautification will not be sufficient. They estimate that around Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 2.5 lakh crore will be needed. Therefore, there is a question among everyone about whether the Telangana government can spend such a huge amount. Even if funds are allocated in phases for the Musi River cleaning, it is estimated to take at least 12 to 20 years to complete the project.
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