Noisy protests and tense moments mark the Musi survey in Hyderabad

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the architect of the Musi development project, has become the target of public ire, especially women, who openly hurled abuses and curses against him

Revenue and Municipal officials knocking at the doors of the residents along the Musi river who are to be displaced by the Musi River Development project are facing stiff resistance from the latter. Several locations such as Satya Nagar colony in Kothapet, Mahmood Nagar in Kishanbagh reverberated with raucous protests when officials came to collect the details.

One rally was conducted by the protesters from Langar Houz. “The rally started from PVNR Expressway pillar number 102-104 and traffic was disrupted between 2.30 p.m. and 3 p.m. by 200-odd protestors. We identified 10 of them who then met the MRO and RDO and later were taken to meet the Chief Minister to petition him,” informed a police official. Another batch of protestors reached the MRO office in Bahadurpura against the proposed demolitions.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the architect of the Musi development project, has become the target of public ire, especially women, who openly hurled abuses and curses against him.

Member of Parliament from Malkajgiri Constituency Eatala Rajender visited Satya Nagar and staged a sit-in in solidarity with the residents.

“We thought the government had plans to protect the people by securing the river with retaining walls, and deepening it to facilitate flow. We thought the issues of groundwater pollution would be addressed by cleaning up the river. We did not imagine that dwellings where the river water never reached would be confiscated by the government,” Mr. Rajender said.

Security was beefed up in Satya Nagar in view of Mr. Rajender’s visit. Tense moments were witnessed when a person attempted to end life by pouring kerosene over himself, but alert policemen thwarted the attempt by dousing him in water.

Residents got down to arguments with the visiting officials, and the most asked questions about was how the government had given permissions, done registrations and cleared LRS applications if the houses had been built on the riverbed.

Those with pucca homes remained unimpressed by the offer of double bedroom housing. With many homes three to four storeys high, and earning rental revenue, the home owners are unwilling to forfeit them.

“At Shankar Nagar, a large number of homes which get inundated when Musi is in full flow are mere tin roof structures. They are willing to move upon being provided a double bedroom housing unit within the vicinity,” says Syed Bilal, a social activist and member of Human Rights Forum from Shankar Nagar area of Chaderghat.

When representations were made to the Chief Minister, they were given assurance that alternative housing will be provided within three kilometre distance, he said.

However, people possessing pucca homes in the buffer zone are set to lose their homes, and also livelihoods, as majority of them are small time traders running business from home.

At several locations, the stencil markings made on the structures by the Revenue officials were painted over as soon as the officials left on Thursday. On Friday, the officials had to repaint them.

Commissioner Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Amrapali Kata posted in social media that 16 double bedroom flats at Jaibhavani Nagar have been handed over to the beneficiaries of the Musi rehabilitation.

Published - September 27, 2024 09:25 pm IST