Two mega projects, separated by a century but united by an urgency to transform Hyderabad

Musi riverfront development project, which aims to rejuvenate the city’s lifeline, is remarkably similar to a major Nizam-era endeavour implemented in the wake of a catastrophic flood that ravaged Hyderabad on September 28, 1908

A critical chapter in the eventful history of Hyderabad seems to be repeating on the Musi riverbed now. Survey teams are visiting residents and demarcating houses to be demolished. While some wail, some aggressively confront the teams and a few others defiantly erase the markings on the houses.

But the teams, comprising officials from the Revenue and Irrigation departments as well as civic bodies, continue their visits to houses in Chaderghat, Yaktupura, Langar Houz and Imliban. Notably, the State has already drawn up plans to resettle the evicted in 2BHK houses.

The massive exercise, aimed at reviving the now shrivelled Musi river and waterbodies dotting the city, appears like the echo of a similar project undertaken by the government of Nizam Osman Ali Khan over a century ago.

Ravaged by flood and pestilence

After the great flood of September 28, 1908 flattened the city and killed hundreds of thousands of people along both sides of the riverbank, the Nizam constituted a ‘City Improvement Board’ (CIB) to rebuild the city. The CIB’s goal was Araish e Baldia or beautification and embellishment of the city.

The need of this endeavour became imperative after congestion increased the number of deaths due to epidemics. According to one estimate, there was a 20% decline in Hyderabad’s population due to the flood and bouts of epidemics between 1908 and 1920.

The Census documents cited by Benjamin Cohen stated thus: “Ward IV of the city that lay within the old city walls decreased in population by 22.6 per cent in the decade between 1901 and 1911. Adjacent to this area, Ward X at Chaderghat saw its population decrease by 14.7 per cent.”

The CIB tried to undo the damage by undertaking largescale slum clearance. Fourteen localities of the city, covering an area of 1,300 acres, were cleared of slums. These people were resettled in new homes built in the northern part of the city following sanitation principles.

The entire riverbed of the Musi, which had turned into a shanty town as it appears now, was levelled and parks were built. In Yakutpura slum, 2,000 families were uprooted and their houses levelled. They were resettled in houses built by the CIB.

Architect Anuradha Naik who studied the role of the CIB and how it carried out the slum clearance and rehabilitation writes the chronology:“These (houses) were built upon first with all infrastructure and amenities and then gradually the slums demolished and residents re-housed.”

The demolitions, some planned and some executed, by Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) appear to follow the same principles: people whose houses are to be demolished will be rehoused in pre-built 2BHK homes.

“Despite the large-scale demolitions carried out by the CIB in its effort to make the city safer for its citizens by clearing congested areas, the historic landmarks were by and large retained. It requires a tremendous amount of courage to carry on such large-scale changes. [Chief Minister A.] Revanth Reddy is trying to do what many others have backed away from doing. It will be good for the city if he succeeds,” says historian and author Sajjad Shahid, who has extensively studied the CIB’s role in the city’s development.

Modern twist to a long-standing need

“It is necessary to bring into existence more gardens, parks and open space wherever possible, in order to provide play grounds for children and places of recreation for the public at large,” wrote renowned engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya in a 1930 report about the then-ongoing CIB project.

The Musi Riverfront Development plan rolled out by the Congress government promises just that, though with a modern twist: “Developing people’s plazas, cycle tracks, green spaces, hawker zones, bridges, recreational and tourist areas, sports facilities, parking areas, commercial and retail spaces, and hospitality infrastructure will transform the riverfront into a vibrant urban space.” according to the document of Expression of Interest floated by Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited.

Published - September 27, 2024 09:18 pm IST