Civil groups stage satyagraha protest against Musi River displacement plan

Civil organisations and RWAs staged a Satyagraha at Dharna Chowk, Hyderabad, opposing the displacement of families for the Musi River rejuvenation project. They demanded transparency, ecological studies, rehabilitation with dignity, and rejected the Sabarmati riverfront model.

Hyderabad: Protesting the proposed displacement of hundreds of families for the Musi River rejuvenation, various civil organisations and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) held a satyagraha here on Wednesday.

Representatives of various civil organisations held the protest at Dharna Chowk between 10 am and 3 pm against the Musi River Rejuvenation and the State government proposal to acquire necessary land by displacing hundreds of families residing for decades along the Musi River.

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During the protest, resolutions were passed by the People’s Committee for Musi River Rejuvenation and they included a demand that all major study reports be placed in the public domain.

The civil groups sought legal recognition of a Right to Life for Musi River and also for people on the banks of Musi, and affected families must be rehabilitated with dignity, informed consent and adequately, so that they get better living standards.

The participants called for analysis of contaminants in the silt and water of the Musi river and their impact on the health of people in the city. A detailed report on Musi River waters and silt was sought.

The Sabarmati riverfront is a concrete structure and should not be considered an example for an ecological rejuvenation of Musi River, they said. For this, an in-depth study of the micro-organisms and huge bio- diversity on the banks and in the river that is vastly different at different places should be documented as a project in itself, before any rejuvenation step is taken. A public hearing is a must, they added.