HYDERABAD: Work on the Musi Riverfront Development Project (MRDP) gathered pace on Thursday with officials from Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts surveying structures on the Musi riverbed and its catchment areas even as the occupants tried to obstruct them.
The survey is part of the state government’s efforts to expedite the MRDP, aimed at conserving the river, promoting tourism and preventing flooding.
In several places, including KCR Nagar, Ramanthapur and others, residents insisted that they would not vacate their homes and were ready to lay down their lives to protect their properties. They claimed to possess valid pattas and documentation, having lived in these areas for decades while paying property tax and utility bills.
Ignoring the slogan shoutings, officials labelled the encroachments “RB-X” (riverbed extreme) using red paint, indicating they would be demolished after residents were rehabilitated. Officials also collected details from residents, including Aadhaar numbers, age, caste and tenant information.
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The survey involved 16 teams in Hyderabad, five in Medchal-Malkajgiri and four in Rangareddy. Each team included a tahsildar, revenue inspector, surveyor, GHMC officials and police, and they have been working in residential areas like Chaderghat, Langar Houz, Golconda and others where encroachments have been identified.
The survey began a day after the state government issued orders allotting 15,000 2BHK housing units for the rehabilitation of eligible economically disadvantaged families impacted by the MRDP. The Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) noted that a field survey identified as many as 15,000 houses in both the buffer zone and riverbed, urging the government to provide 2BHK accommodations for these families.
MAUD authorities have assured that the government would facilitate the rehabilitation of those displaced by the project. Affected residents will also receive compensation in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013.