BRS Working President KT Rama Rao addressed a program on Musi Waterfront Project – Public View of Hyderabad Suburbs on Saturday. | Photo credit: By arrangement
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Labor President and former Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao has alleged that the Musi Riverfront project proposed by the Congress government is not a genuine initiative to beautify the Musi waterfront, but a large-scale land-grabbing scheme targeting valuable land along the river’s course.
Speaking at the ‘Musi Rejuvenation – PowerPoint Presentation vs Public Point’ program held at Himayath Sagar on Saturday, he said that Musi can be developed without causing harm to the public. He recalled that the previous BRS government had successfully constructed nearly six kilometers of Musi river stretch in Uppal and Nagola without demolishing a single house.
The previous government prepared a comprehensive plan for the development of Musi at an estimated cost of ₹16,000 crore, which included a highway along the river and several infrastructure improvements. However, the current government led by A. Revanth Reddy proposed a ₹1.5 lakh crore project which it claimed was aimed at demolishing thousands of houses and facilitating widespread corruption.
He criticized the government for proceeding with the project without a detailed project report (DPR), social impact assessment or environmental impact study and without consulting the affected communities. The government spread fear among thousands of residents by threatening large-scale demolitions.
The BRS leader said his party was not against the development of Musi but would strongly resist any attempts at corruption or demolition of people’s homes in the name of the project. He claimed that the government’s real intention was to acquire around 3,300 acres of land along the Musi, the total value of which was estimated to be nearly ₹1.5 crore.
He noted that if the Namami Gange project, which covers hundreds of kilometres, was executed at a cost of around ₹ 42,000 crore, the state government must explain why ₹ 1.5 crore was required to construct just 55 kilometers of the Musi river. He accused the Congress party of historically neglecting the Musi river and turning it into a polluted drain during its decades of rule.
Demanding that the Congress leadership apologize to the people of Hyderabad for the environmental damage caused in the past, the BRS Working President highlighted the approach of the BRS government and explained that it had planned several measures such as construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs), expressways, footpaths, cycle tracks, parks, bridges and check dams along with initiatives to prevent sewage from entering the river.
They also planned to bring fresh water to Musi through the Kaleshwaram project at an estimated cost of around ₹ 1,100 crore, he noted. BRS Whip KP Vivekananda Goud, Former Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, MLA B. Laxma Reddy, MLC Shambipur Raju, Former Legislative Council Chairman K. Swamy Goud, RS Praveen Kumar and others.
Published – 14 March 2026 21:42 IST
