Telangana IT Minister Slams KTR for Opposing Musi River Cleanup Plans
HYDERABAD: The previous BRS government, under the leadership of then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and then minister for municipal administration and urban development K.T. Rama Rao, had originally initiated the enumeration and demolition of illegal structures in the Musi riverbed, according to the minutes of the meetings of the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (MRDCL). These records were made public by the Congress government on Tuesday.
The BRS government had issued Government Order No. 7 on January 5, 2016, to establish the Musi river boundary and buffer zone. Rule 3(ii)(1) of the GO said: "50 metres from the boundary of the river within the municipal corporation/ municipality/ nagar panchayat/ HMDA/ HUDA limits should be taken into account for fixing the river boundary and buffer zone."
The Congress government is adhering to the GO issued by the previous BRS government to determine the Musi riverbed and buffer zone. Despite this, Rama Rao is opposing the government’s decision to move on the matter.
IT minister D. Sridhar Babu, while releasing these minutes at a press conference on Tuesday, remarked, " KCR and KTR took significant decisions on riverbed boundary demarcation, encroachment clearance, and the R&R policy. The Congress government has not introduced any new regulations. We are merely implementing the rules established by the BRS government, but now BRS leaders, particularly KTR, are opposing their own policies, exposing their hypocrisy and double-talk."
The then BRS government established the MRDCL in March 2017 to address Musi river pollution and develop its riverfront. Key decisions regarding the clearing of encroachments were made during MRDCL meetings, chaired by Rama Rao, between 2018 and 2022, the minutes showed.
Rama Rao had directed officials to survey and enumerate encroachments within the Musi riverbed and buffer zone. In a meeting on July 9, 2018, Rama Rao instructed officials to prepare a report on rehabilitation, resettlement, and land acquisition while devising a strategy for evicting encroachments and rehabilitating affected individuals.
In a meeting on June 27, 2020, Rama Rao emphasised the urgency of demarcating the Musi river's boundaries, including the full tank level (FTL) and buffer zone, to facilitate the implementation of a master plan for the river's rejuvenation. He ordered the collectors of Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal districts to prioritise this task.
In coordination with local revenue authorities, MRDCL officials were tasked by the BRS government with removing commercial structures from the riverbank and preventing further encroachments. This involved the installation of surveillance systems, including CCTV cameras, to monitor the area and prevent illegal activities like dumping construction and demolition (C&D) waste.
By June 2020, a comprehensive survey covering 55 km across 14 mandals and 47 villages was completed, using the Telangana Survey and Boundaries Act of 1923. Teams from the revenue and irrigation departments mapped and certified the Musi river's boundaries and buffer zones.
In a June 25, 2021 meeting, Rama Rao called for a socio-economic survey of the 110 km stretch (on both sides) of the Musi river. He mentioned that families displaced due to the project could be relocated to 2BHK houses under the government’s rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policy.
Rama Rao, incidentally, is objecting to the Congress government’s plan to move displaced families into 2BHK units — plans that were conceived during his tenure.
The MRDCL, in a June 28, 2022 meeting, identified 8,480 structures in the riverbed and buffer zone, including land parcels. Officials were instructed to estimate the land cost, evaluate the structures, and determine the number of 2BHK units that could be provided. They were also asked to identify government land within a radius of 500 to 1,000 metres for accommodating the relocated families.
IT minister Sridhar Babu, who released the minutes of the meetings held during the BRS government tenure, mentioned that in 2018, the BRS government had conducted an international design competition, inviting global firms to present innovative ideas for the riverfront’s development, aiming to make the Musi Riverfront a global landmark.
"It was the BRS government that decided in 2022 to allocate 2BHK units to displaced individuals, but today, the same leaders are opposing it," he said.