T'gana CM vows to complete Musi rejuvenation; blames BRS, BJP for 'hindering progress'

Hyderabad, Nov 8 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday alleged the opposition BRS and BJP were attempting to derail the state government's Musi river rejuvenation project.

He vowed to complete the initiative despite "obstacles".

Reddy, who walked along the Musi in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district to assess the river's pollution, announced plans for a 'padayatra' from Vadapalli to Hyderabad in January.

Referring to comments by BRS leaders, who claimed they would lie in front of bulldozers if poor people’s houses were demolished as part of the Musi project, Reddy accused them of insincerity in addressing pollution that has severely impacted people's lives.

He said the cleanup of the Musi would proceed, even if it meant using bulldozers to remove BRS leaders who, according to him, had "looted" the state for the past decade.

"Those who say they will lie in front of bulldozers, give your names. I will change my name if we don't run the bulldozer over you in the presence of lakhs of people from Nalgonda," he said.

The Musi, which originates in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad, flows through the city before merging with the Krishna river in Nalgonda. Reddy likened the river's redevelopment to the Sabarmati riverfront project in Gujarat, the central government's Ganga cleanup initiative, and London's Thames river restoration.

In an indirect rebuttal to BRS allegations of a scam in the Musi rejuvenation project, Reddy accused the opposition party leaders of misappropriating Rs 1 lakh crore in the Kaleshwaram project, which suffered damage last year. "Am I like you?" he asked.

Reddy described the Musi as a potential boon that had turned into a curse due to the severe pollution. He referred to the pollution as a "nuclear bomb" for Hyderabad.

He also addressed BJP leaders' criticism of the project, noting they lauded the Sabarmati riverfront development in Gujarat but opposed the Musi rejuvenation. He stated the harmful effects of pollution on the Musi, which has killed fish, damaged agriculture, and affected occupations like pottery.

During his walk, Reddy interacted with local residents and worshipped a 'Shivalingam' on the riverbank.

Earlier in the day, Reddy visited the famous Lord Narasimha temple at Yadagirigutta in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district to mark his birthday. He announced plans to form a 'Yadagirigutta Temple Board' modelled after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that manages the Lord Venkateswara temple.

He also instructed officials to expedite the gold plating of the temple's 'Vimana Gopuram' and submit a report on pending works. PTI SJR SJR SSK SA