Telangana Govt Asks People To Give Up Land For Musi Riverfront

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has begun identifying private lands along the Musi river that it wants people to surrender for the riverfront project in lieu of development rights.

A notification issued on February 9 by the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) invites landowners in two initial stretches of the 55-km corridor to voluntarily give up their land. In return, they would receive Transferable Development Rights (TDR) which will allow additional construction elsewhere.

“Accordingly, this notification is hereby issued to all landowners/persons interested, whose lands are falling in MFL/Buffer Zones of Musi river… inviting them to approach the authority to avail TDR benefits in lieu of voluntary surrender of their affected lands,” the notice said.

The project extends from Gandipet to Gowrelly, cutting across 46 villages in 14 mandals in Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts.

Officials have proposed development within a 50-metre buffer on both sides of the river. The notification says the effort seeks “to improve the hygienic conditions/environs and to rejuvenate the 55-km stretch of the Musi river,” while restoring ecological health and expanding public access.

The current notification covers Phase 1A, from Himayatsagar to Gandhi Sarovar, and Phase 1B, from Osman Sagar to Gandhi Sarovar, including the Bapu Ghat stretch. Detailed survey numbers are listed for villages such as Dargah Kaliskan, Kismatpur, Banglaguda Jagir, Gandipet, Narsingi, Budvel, Upparpally, Manchirevula, Ibrahim Bagh, Quli Qutub Shah, Gandhamguda, Hyder Shahkot and Bandlaguda.

The compensation structure is tied to how the land is classified. Properties falling within the Full Tank Level or Maximum Flood Level of lakes and rivers would receive TDR equal to 200 percent of the built-up area surrendered. Lands in designated buffer zones would qualify for 300 per cent.

Parcels outside buffer zones but required for public purposes connected to water body conservation would receive 400 per cent. In cases of nala widening on private lands not recorded in revenue documents, TDR would be granted on par with road widening at 400 per cent.

The land acquisition process now rests on voluntary surrender. Landowners whose properties fall within the notified flood and buffer zones have been asked to approach MRDCL or the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) if they wish to seek TDR in exchange for their land.