CM Revanth: Temple, Mosque, Church, Gurudwara Will Be Constructed Along Musi to Promote Communal Harmony
He said that the existing ancient Shiva temple near Manchirevula in the Musi basin would be developed under this project.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced in the Assembly on Friday that a temple, a mosque, a church and a gurudwara would be constructed along the Musi river basin as part of the Musi rejuvenation and development project to promote communal harmony.
He said that the existing ancient Shiva temple near Manchirevula in the Musi basin would be developed under this project.
The Chief Minister informed the House that Union defence minister Rajnath Singh had agreed to allocate defence land for the construction of Gandhi Sarovar, described as one of the central components of the state’s flagship river rejuvenation initiative. He said the Centre had accorded approval for the Gandhi Sarovar component, while the Asian Development Bank had agreed to extend a loan of `4,000 crore.
Stating that estimates for the Musi project would be finalised by March 31, Revanth Reddy said tenders would be invited immediately thereafter. Once the detailed project report (DPR) was ready, the government would make a detailed power point presentation to all MLAs and seek their suggestions before moving ahead, he added.
Drawing parallels with the Sabarmati riverfront project in Gujarat and the Ganga riverfront development in Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Minister said nearly 60,000 families had been relocated during the Sabarmati clean-up. He said the Congress had never opposed development-oriented riverfront projects and accused opposition parties of deliberately obstructing the Musi rejuvenation initiative despite similar models being promoted elsewhere as symbols of progress.
The Chief Minister said strict action had been taken against pollution of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs caused by the routing of untreated drainage from farmhouses owned by influential families.
Referring to his visits to London, New York, Japan, Seoul in South Korea and Singapore, Revanth Reddy said all world-class cities had protected and revitalised their river basins. He said rising industrial pollution and animal waste had contaminated the Musi, causing health problems, particularly among women living along its banks in Nalgonda region.
To address the issue, the government had appointed consultancies to prepare detailed plans, while development work had already begun in a V-shaped area around Gandhi Sarovar near Bapu Ghat. As a long-term solution, the government proposed diverting 20 tmc ft of Godavari water, allocating 15 tmc ft for drinking water and 5 tmc ft to ensure a continuous flow of clean water in the Musi, he added.
The Chief Minister also outlined plans for a 55-km elevated corridor from Gandipet to Gowrelly and said the government was committed to transforming Hyderabad, particularly the Old City, into one of the world’s great urban centres, with better housing and facilities for the poor.
The CM strongly objected to opposition parties calling him a real estate broker. "Real estate is also an industry. Similar criticisms were made when the Hitec City was developed. In the next 20 years, urbanisation will increase to 75 per cent," CM said.
"The poison in the hearts of some people is far more dangerous than the pollution in the Musi River. Why are they spewing venom when I am explaining the details?They want to prevent the truth from reaching the people and stop any discussion. Why does it hurt them when I explain the details? Even their BRS MLAs are demanding that the Musi River be cleaned up," Revanth said.
BRS MLA T. Harish Rao demanded that the government release a White Paper detailing the total expenditure and cost estimates for the Musi river beautification project.