Prominent social activist Medha Patkar has written a letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, asking him to work for the betterment of the Musi River along with the riverine communities, but not at the expense of others. She urged him to avoid any violence against people in the name of Mahatma Gandhi.
Ms. Patkar, representing the All India Rivers Forum and the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), called for the immediate suspension of the proposed unveiling of detailed project plans for Phase 1 of the Musi river rejuvenation scheduled for March 13, at which she is one of the official invitees.
The current framework excludes the voices of directly affected families, environmental experts and social activists, and in a democracy based on participatory governance, such an omission makes governance inconsistent with true partnership, she said.
The Musi Riverfront Development is one of more than 100 similar riverfront initiatives planned mostly in states ruled by the BJP and its allies, many of which have raised deep social and environmental concerns, she said, citing the example of the Sabarmati project, which received several directions and remedies from the Gujarat High Court.
Recounting the history of the Musi project since the late 1990s, Mrs. Patkarová noted that it would likely displace thousands of households and endanger heritage buildings. Recent demolitions have already affected around 300 houses, with the alternative rental apartments provided not meeting the needs of residents and disrupting livelihoods.
She highlighted the social impact assessment exemption for the project and expressed concern that instead of repealing the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Amendment Act 2013 by the previous government, the Congress government invoked this very provision for the exemption.
Ms. Patkarová also considered the piecemeal approach to a detailed project report without a cumulative impact assessment to be problematic, stating that for a project of this scale, proceeding without dealing with affected families and appropriate legal and approval processes would cause irreversible damage to the ecosystem and the socio-economic structure of the state.
It has asked for public release of the detailed project plan for the entire project in English, Telugu and Urdu, with a minimum period of 60 days for submission of suggestions and objections. Other demands of the activist were detailed dialogue with the affected communities, public hearings in the affected areas, establishment of an independent committee for a comprehensive review of the watershed access project, immediate withdrawal of all land acquisition notifications and passage of legislation in the Telangana State Assembly to repeal the amendments to the land acquisition legislation and return it to its original form.
Published – 11 March 2026 20:39 IST
