The ongoing process of marking the boundaries along the Musi River has brought distress to many, particularly the underprivileged. The demarcation spans about 45 km across the Greater Hyderabad region in three districts. Officials have clarified that the red line marks the riverbed, while the blue line represents the Full River Level (FRL). Based on this, the authorities are proceeding with identifying structures along the river.
CM Revanth Reddy has ambitiously launched the Musi beautification project, which has seen its estimated budget soar to Rs. 1.5 lakh crore within just three months. It is reported that the MRDCL have revealed that the project’s alignment map was created in collaboration with institutes specializing in irrigation, geo mapping, and urban planning.
The red line marking of the riverbed is currently underway, and reports suggest that between 60,000 to 70,000 structures fall within this zone. Once the marking for the FRL (blue line) is initiated, the number of affected properties could reach as high as two lakhs.
Irrigation experts have noted that an additional buffer zone of 30 to 40 meters will need to be established beyond the blue line. While rules mandate the determination of both FRL and buffer zone limits, MRDCL has so far only marked up to the FRL, with plans for a buffer zone to follow.
Initial estimates indicated that around 30,000 to 40,000 structures would be affected by the riverbed demarcation. However, the new map shows that the number of properties within the red line may rise to 60,000 to 70,000. Moreover, over one lakh properties may fall within the FRL boundary (blue line).
With the FRL width varying from 80 to 100 meters in different areas, the addition of a buffer zone suggests that more than 1.5 lakh structures could be impacted by the government’s beautification efforts. Concerns are growing that many of these properties will be cleared in the name of the project.