Passions run high as Musi facelift survey continues
HYDERABAD: Tension continued in the Musi River catchment areas for the second day as the state government pushed forward with its survey as part of the Musi Riverfront Development Project (MRDP), with residents claiming that they would rather die than move.
Residents in several areas obstructed surveyors marking houses, allegedly built illegally in the riverbed, “RB-X” in red paint. In some instances, residents reportedly snatched the survey documents from the officials.
On Friday, unrest was reported in Kothapet, Chaitanyapuri, Maruthinagar, and Satyanagar, as residents made their views quite clear. Tempers frayed as the surveyors continued their assigned task, to the point that a local poured kerosene over himself and threatened self-immolation. He was fortunately stopped by his neighbours.
Discontent was also visible in Golconda and Langar Houz, where residents took out a rally to the local police station, where they protested and raised slogans against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. At Defence Colony, a demonstration on the Ring Road caused a traffic jam that stretched for kilometres.
In Bahadarpura too, residents took to the streets against “forced relocation” from their homes. Protesters at Kishanbagh gathered outside the tahsildar office, demanding written assurances of “land-for-land” compensation rather than relocation to government-provided two-bedroom houses (2BHK). They carried placards pleading for their homes to be spared from demolition.
Despite this, surveys continued in Kothapet, Satyanagar, Maruthinagar, and Rajendranagar, with homes in the riverbed marked for demolition.
Meanwhile, authorities have begun preparations to relocate households, arranging trucks to move residents’ belongings to the 2BHK houses.
While the stated aims of the project are to conserve the river, promote tourism, and prevent flooding, residents accused the state government of destroying their livelihoods without providing viable alternatives.
