Musi Jan Andolan taps Meenakshi; flags concern over Sarovar Project

Hyderabad: The Musi Jan Andolan (MJA) has written to AICC in-charge general secretary Meenakshi Natarajan seeking her intervention in the controversial Gandhi Sarovar project being undertaken by the Telangana government on the banks of the Musi River.

In the letter, the MJA highlighted that the government plans to acquire 10.34 acres of land in Bandlaguda Jagir village of Gandipet mandal in Rangareddy, which is impacting residents of Madhu Park Ridge Apartments.

The state has also sought the transfer of 98.20 acres of land from the Defence Department for the project. The letter criticised the Telangana government for inviting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the foundation stone-laying ceremony on March 12, allegedly ignoring public opposition and bypassing democratic processes.

The MJA, a network of Civil Society activists, environmentalists, human rights organisations, and local residents, demanded an immediate halt to the inauguration of the project and called for a comprehensive review through democratic deliberations. The group also noted that Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, has expressed objections to the installation of a statue as part of the project.

The letter further condemned the exemption of the Gandhi Sarovar project from a social impact assessment under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, stating that the 2017 state amendment undermines the purpose of the law, threatens the interests of local communities, and poses risks to food security.