HYDERABAD: “Mushkil hogayi jaan bachani, har ghar mein Musa ki pani (It became difficult to save lives as every house was filled with Musi river’s water),” Ramnivas Parashar’s voice resonated through the gathering, his words capturing the gravity of the situation. Beneath the shade of a tamarind tree on the Osmania General Hospital (OGH) premises, his melody held the undivided attention of the assembled students.
This tree had once served as a beacon of hope, saving the lives of approximately 150 people during the floods that had impacted the area. The occasion was a memorial and solidarity gathering, organised by the Forum for a Better Hyderabad (FBH), to pay tribute to the victims of the 1908 Musi floods.
On September 28, 1908, Hyderabad witnessed an unprecedented deluge, brought about by heavy rainfall in the region. The rise of the Musi River’s water levels claimed nearly 15,000 lives. Stating that there was a pressing need for an integrated master plan for Hyderabad, Professor Veda Kumar Manikonda, FBH chairman, emphasised that the government of Telangana must prioritise the city’s sustainable development, with a keen focus on ensuring clean air, pure water, reducing noise pollution and a well-planned transport system.
Furthermore, he called upon the government to preserve Hyderabad’s invaluable heritage sites. Professor Manikonda expressed optimism that, through active citizen participation, a robust blueprint for Hyderabad’s future could be formulated. Students from various schools and colleges participated in the event and planted saplings.