Hyderabad: Musi Riverfront project faces protest as residents raise displacement concerns

Hundreds of residents and activists protested against the Musi Riverfront Development Project at Dharna Chowk on Thursday. Organised by Musi Jan Andolan, the protestors demanded consultations, publication of the detailed project report in vernacular languages and a halt to construction.

Hyderabad: Opposing the Musi Riverfront Development Project proposed by the Telangana Congress government, hundreds of residents and activists staged a protest at Dharna Chowk here on Thursday. Protesters lamented that the project threatens to displace local communities and claim their properties.

The Telangana government has proposed the Musi Riverfront Development project, aiming to concretise the river’s ecosystem and forcibly displace thousands of families.

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Musi Jan Andolan, a city-based non-party people’s platform, which organised the protest, demanded the government publish the detailed project report in vernacular languages. It wanted consultations with stakeholders and revocation of the GO 291 on conducting a social impact assessment.

Further, the group demanded a halt to all construction, including roads along Musi River’s banks and bridges, under the project. It sought the establishment of a Musi River Basin Authority and an audit of funds previously spent on restoring the river.

Musi Jan Andolan released a pamphlet detailing the impact of the project in three languages during the event, which was attended by residents from Narsingi, Nagole and villages downstream.

Environmentalists Dr. Baburao and Dr. Donthi Narasimha Reddy explained the project’s environmental implications. LB Nagar BRS MLA D Sudheer Reddy also attended and expressed solidarity with people affected by the Musi project.