Hyderabad: Musi Jan Andolan (MJA), a people’s platform focused on the Musi River and its riparian communities, has submitted a representation to the Telangana government’s Cabinet Sub-Committee, seeking disclosure of all project-related documents before consultations on the Musi Riverfront Development project.
The submission, addressed to deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers D Sridhar Babu and Ponnam Prabhakar, called for a comprehensive re-evaluation of the project from a river-basin perspective.
Disclosure sought
MJA said consultations would lack credibility without prior disclosure of key documents in English, Telugu and Urdu, including the full Draft Detailed Project Plan (DPP) and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for all five phases, with clearly marked river boundaries, buffer zones, road alignments and affected structures.
It also sought the Preliminary Project Report submitted to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry for Rs 3,188 crore under the National River Conservation Plan, along with plans and DPRs for sewage treatment plants, interception and diversion systems, and trunk sewers.
The group further called for disclosure of plans to pump 2.5 TMC water into Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar from the Godavari, HMDA master plan modifications for East-West corridors, and complete Environmental Impact Assessment and clearance records for Phases 1A and 1B.
The submission additionally sought hydrological studies, flood management plans, desilting strategies, groundwater and surface water quality data, and the disaggregated surveys and maps used to identify 10,017 structures and 3,279 acres of land for acquisition under GO Ms No. 921.
Displacement concerns
MJA cited official data indicating that 12,204 families would be displaced and 15,255 families affected in Phases 1A and 1B, including daily-wage workers, middle-class households and retired employees who constructed homes with approvals from planning authorities.
The group opposed GO Ms. No. 921 dated December 16, 2025, which exempts the project from Social Impact Assessment under the RFCTLARR Act, 2013, and flagged inconsistencies between the number of displaced families and the officially cited number of structures.
Project critique
MJA said the current model treats the river in a phase-wise manner rather than as an integrated ecosystem, and prioritises infrastructure and riverfront development over ecological restoration while pollution from industrial effluents and sewage continues.
It also pointed to gaps, including a lack of clarity on industrial effluent treatment, the absence of flood accountability mechanisms, and potential impacts on groundwater recharge and flood-carrying capacity due to engineering interventions. The submission said global river restoration examples prioritised pollution control before development.
Demands
MJA sought withdrawal of GO Ms No. 921 and related orders, suspension of land acquisition and project activities until full disclosure, and public release of all documents with a 60-day window for objections. It also called for repeal of the 2017 state amendment to the land acquisition law and a shift to a river-basin approach aimed at minimising displacement.
The group said consultations can be considered meaningful only after full disclosure and urged a transparent and participatory approach to the project.
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