Hyderabad, March 28 Emphasizing the need to clean the Musi River, which is contaminated by industrial pollutants and sewage discharge, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy vowed on Saturday to complete the river rejuvenation project and to build a grand temple, mosque, church, and Sikh shrines as part of the project.
Speaking after performing 'bhumi puja' for the reconstruction of Omkareshwara and Machileshwara (Shiva) temples on the banks of the Musi River at Manchirevula here, he said the state government would take "firm action" if anyone spreads false information about the project and attributes wrong motives to it.
Besides the grand Shiva temple complex, the government would build a mosque near Charminar, a Sikh shrine inspired by the Golden Temple in Gowliguda (where a large number of Sikhs live), and a church in Nagole, he said.
All these places of worship would be located on the banks of the Musi River in Hyderabad, he said.
Taking a veiled dig at the BRS, he said the opposition party should stop attempts to create obstacles for the Musi rejuvenation program.
"Cleaning the Musi is more important than essential daily items. The contaminants from industries and the impurities discharged by one crore people (living in Hyderabad) are merging with the Musi. Furthermore, if humans and animals die accidentally, the animal carcasses and human dead bodies, industrial pollution, and the entire drainage system of the region are flowing into the Musi," he said.
The pollution in the Musi has made agricultural produce in the Nalgonda district, neighboring Hyderabad, unfit for human consumption and has also affected the health of newborn babies, he said.
Every MLA, cutting across party lines, and other public representatives in Hyderabad and Nalgonda districts have supported cleaning the Musi River, Reddy said.
However, some with political motives are opposing the Musi project because they could not undertake the Musi rejuvenation program during their tenure in power, he said.
In an apparent reference to BRS MLA P Sabita Indra Reddy, he said the "daughter" of a "sister" has filed a case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking to halt the Musi development works.
The family of the "sister" had enjoyed power for 40 years, he said, urging that she should make her son withdraw the case in the NGT. Otherwise, the people of the region would impose a "social boycott" on the family, he said.
Reddy also said the government has taken up work to transfer 20 TMC of water from the Godavari River to Hyderabad to ensure that the Musi has water throughout the year.
Highlighting that civilization always develops on the banks of rivers and oceans, Reddy said that Delhi is an example of the adverse impact of pollution.
Although Delhi is home to the President, Prime Minister, Parliament, and the Supreme Court, a situation prevails in the National Capital where the government has declared holidays for schools and offices due to pollution, he said.
The pollution in Delhi serves as an example for Telangana to take corrective measures, he added.