Cong MP Chamala seeks Sabarmati-style makeover of Musi

Hyderabad: Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy from Bhongir visited the Sabarmati river catchment area in Ahmedabad on Sunday, along with Telangana Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari, Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah, Dairy Development Corporation Chairman Gutha Amith Reddy and Mother Dairy Chairman G. Madhusudhan Reddy.

Speaking on the occasion, the MP said that nearly 22 kilometres of the Sabarmati River have been cleaned and developed in Gujarat. He noted that water from the Narmada River, treated through sewage treatment plants (STPs), is being channelled into the Sabarmati and subsequently supplied for agricultural purposes.

Drawing a comparison, he said the Musi River flows through the heart of Hyderabad city and stressed the need for its rejuvenation. He stated that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is making efforts to clean the Musi and bring water from the Godavari River to improve its flow.

Reddy said the Chief Minister is determined to provide irrigation and drinking water to the Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency and asserted that Hyderabad would witness further development if the Musi is cleaned.

Responding to criticism, he alleged that N Ramachandra Rao, Telangana BJP president, had claimed that the Musi has no relevance to the Sabarmati model. Reddy countered that while the Sabarmati receives water from the Narmada, the Musi can be rejuvenated with Godavari waters.

He further claimed that around 10,000 families were relocated between 2004 and 2014 for the Sabarmati riverfront project, and accused BJP leaders of spreading misinformation by stating that no one was displaced. He also criticised T. Harish Rao and Ramachander Rao for opposing the Musi rejuvenation project, alleging that political considerations were being placed above public interest.

Reddy urged opposition leaders to visit Ahmedabad, interact with officials, and understand the facts about the Sabarmati project. He said infrastructure initiatives such as Musi cleaning, Metro expansion, the Regional Ring Road (Triple R), and the proposed Future City are aimed at transforming Hyderabad, and appealed to people to support developmental efforts over political differences.

He emphasised the need to establish adequate sewage and fecal treatment plants in Hyderabad to ensure effective cleaning of the Musi and called upon political parties to create awareness among the public about the long-term benefits of river rejuvenation.