BJP slams govt. approach to Musi rejuvenation project

Sriram Vedire, Adviser on Water Policy & Management to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, explains strategies for the rejuvenation of Musi River, during a discussion in Hyderabad on Sunday. BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao was also present.
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RAMAKRISHNA G

HYDERABAD

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao said that the party supports the State government’s plan to rejuvenate the Musi River but strongly opposes the manner in which the project is being implemented.

He alleged that large numbers of residents were being displaced “without a valid reason” and accused the government of prioritising real estate ventures over ecological restoration.

Speaking at a party-organised discussion on Musi River Rejuvenation at a city hotel on Sunday, Mr. Rao said that the BJP would stand with every family facing displacement and insisted that the project must be handled with transparency and public accountability.

Adviser on Water Policy and Management to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sriram Vedire pointed out that there was no structured strategy for the river’s upper catchment from Anantagiri and Parigi to Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, nor for the final stretch from Nagole to the Krishna River confluence in Vadapally.

Mr. Vedire stressed that rejuvenation must cover all three stretches of the Musi in an integrated manner. Nearly 90% of the buffer zone could still be used for public amenities or retained settlements, while 10% could be earmarked for limited real estate activity to help the project finance itself.

He called for immediate protection of the Anantagiri forest, strict prevention of felling and quarrying, restoration of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar, desilting of upstream tanks, prevention of sewage inflows from nearby villages, and creation of recharge structures like percolation ponds.

For the middle stretch, he recommended clearing encroachments in the protected zone, enforcing floodplain zoning as per Central Water Commission(CWC) guidelines, and ensuring that no sewage enters the river before any riverfront development is undertaken.

In the lower stretch, he wanted catchment treatment, development of polishing wetlands, desilting of tanks, support for safe agricultural practices, and provision of alternate drinking water to affected villages.

Highlighting flood-risk concerns, he urged the government to map Q100 flood envelopes without assuming embankments, classify impacted settlements, and determine which areas require relocation.

Mr. Vedire also drew lessons from global river revitalisation efforts, including the Namami Ganga, River Thames, and Sabarmati Riverfront projects, cautioning that Musi rejuvenation must avoid costly design errors seen in earlier programmes.