Hyderabad, March 13 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday strongly advocated for the rejuvenation of the highly polluted Musi river here, estimating the project cost at around Rs 6,500 crore.
Reddy, who spoke at a presentation by officials on the redevelopment of Musi, said that river rejuvenation is necessary for environmental conservation, the preservation of the city's heritage, and the promotion of economic activity.
"We have presented the project cost here. It covers 21 kilometers. The distance from Osman Sagar to Gandhi Sarovar is 11.50 kilometers. The distance from Himayat Sagar to Gandhi Sarovar is 9.50 kilometers. Altogether, the entire project will cost barely Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,000 crore. Within that project, the Gandhi statue and buildings may cost Rs 200 to Rs 250 crore," he said.
He stated that the polluted water from the Musi is causing health problems in the downstream Nalgonda district due to pollution in Hyderabad.
In a veiled attack on the opposition BRS and others, he asked whether those who are opposing the project are willing to live near the Musi river.
He highlighted the significance of the Bapu Ghat, a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Musi where the ashes of Mahatma were immersed, as a place of great historical importance.
He praised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the army authorities for agreeing to transfer defence land to the state government for the Musi redevelopment project.
Reddy said that those who killed Gandhiji soon after independence are now teaching morality.
Assuring fair compensation to those affected, he said that the project would promote economic activity after redevelopment.