Editorial: Clean the river, clear the air

Congress govt owes an explanation on the staggering cost escalation of Musi rejuvenation

Dishonesty and development cannot go hand in hand. In fact, the success of any developmental project is dependent on the honesty of its purpose and how well it serves the interests of the people at large. No amount of sugar-coating can mask this bitter truth. The ongoing row over the Musi River rejuvenation project demonstrates the futility of selling big dreams if they are built on the foundations of disingenuity. The brazenness with which the Congress government is pushing the multi-crore project is a classic example of how even a basically good idea can be turned into a massive scam. By inflating the project cost to a staggering Rs 1.5 lakh crore, the government has exposed its true colours. What was originally conceived as a project for the public good has now been turned into a means to plunder public resources. No wonder that there is a ring of truth in the allegation that the project is being used as an ‘ATM for the Congress’. The opposition has rightly dubbed it as the country’s biggest scam. As BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao put it, the ‘Musi Beautification’ has morphed into a ‘Musi Lootification’ project. The present dispensation owes an explanation to the people as to why it has set aside the original cost-effective plan for Musi rejuvenation and came up with scandalous cost escalation without any clear objectives. What is more alarming is that thousands of families are being mercilessly thrown out of their homes in the name of clearing encroachments from the riverbed.

The BRS has rightly come out in support of the people whose houses face the threat of demolition to make way for the project. Hundreds of structures have come up on the river bed and the buffer zones over the last few decades. Removing these encroachments has become a major challenge for the government. Instead of treating the project as a personal reserve bank and carrying out unlawful demolitions, the Congress leadership must focus on a holistic vision aimed at environmental restoration and human dignity, besides the revival of the river. There are also reports of some dubious companies being roped in as consultants to siphon off funds. Once the lifeline of Hyderabad, the Musi has been reduced to a cesspool of pollution following decades of neglect. It is choked with silt, pollutants and encroachments, posing flood risks and health hazards. The settlements along the banks of the river lack basic amenities like clean water and sanitation. The removal of silt and the restoration of the river’s ecosystem are essential steps toward creating a safer and healthier environment for all city residents. The original idea of the project was to revitalise the ecosystem surrounding the Musi River. Ultimately, its success will depend on the government’s ability to balance development with social and environmental concerns.

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