Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy held a meeting with officials and experts of the governing body of river Thames — the Port of London Authority — in London on Thursday.
Sharing his vision, Reddy explained about his plans to rejuvenate River Musi in Hyderabad, and his principal reason for visiting London - learning about the management of river Thames, understanding and gathering insights from its management and collating their best practices.
Sian Foster, director (corporate affairs), and Raj Kehal-Livi, head (stakeholder engagement), Port of London Authority, presented a comprehensive history of the developmental activities along River Thames, natural challenges and engineering responses and solutions, stakeholder management, investments and revenue management and the most viable practices evolved over decades.
“Most cities have developed historically besides rivers, lakes or oceans. Water bodies are life-sustaining forces powering and enabling urban human habitats. Hyderabad has developed along Musi and is uniquely centered around Hussainsagar lake. It is fostered by other major water bodies like Osmansagar. Once we reinvigorate and bring back Musi to its fullest force, Hyderabad will be powered by a river and lakes,” the Chief Minister explained.
Finding alignments with his vision and that of Vision 2050 of London authorities, Kehal-Livi and Foster said, “We are ensuring highest levels of sustainability for the river, even as we develop and optimise them along the banks. Finding optimal revenue models to ensure maximum benefits for people and local communities, and best-in-class project management for various projects that are underway and to be taken up in the future are our continual focus areas.”
The apex body authorities assured all support to efforts aimed at rejuvenating River Musi. A more detailed outline of various potential partnership points was also discussed. Both sides agreed to have more engagements in the future and to collaborate on a posse of specific projects.
Principal secretary to CM V. Sheshadri, principal secretary (MA&UD) Dana Kishore, special secretary B. Ajith Reddy, HMDA joint commissioner & MD MRDCL Amrapali Kata, special secretary (investments & promotions) E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Musi River Development Corporation Ltd and superintending engineer Venkata Ramana were also present in the meeting.
