Rangareddy: Officials Take Action on Musi River Encroachments
A day after Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to ensure safe rehabilitation for families affected by the Musi River Front Development project, authorities in Rangareddy district inspected encroachments on the Musi River on Wednesday. They assessed the illegal structures built on the riverbed.
Over a dozen officials from the Revenue and Irrigation departments, led by Additional District Collector Pratima Singh and RDO Venkat Reddy, visited the Musi River bed at Attapur in Rajendranagar. They evaluated the extent of encroachments near the river’s waterway. The visit caused concern among local residents, who were surprised to see the officials surveying the area and checking the Full Tank Level (FTL) and Buffer Zone.
Officials grew suspicious of several residential and industrial structures in the area. They asked property owners to provide documents proving ownership, but many reportedly failed to do so at the time.
It has been reported that around 16,000 encroachments have been identified along the Musi River in the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Medchal-Malkajgiri.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy instructed officials to prepare a detailed report on the encroachments along both sides of the Musi River. This report would help in planning the rehabilitation of families affected by the upcoming demolition drive. The Chief Minister emphasized that protecting ponds within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) area should be a priority. He urged strict monitoring of lake areas to prevent further encroachments.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that water bodies’ FTL and buffer zones within ORR limits should be clearly identified. He suggested installing CCTV cameras around ponds and connecting them to a command and control center to ensure proper monitoring of the ground situation.
Additionally, Revanth Reddy directed officials to provide Double Bedroom houses to families whose homes would be affected by the demolition drive along the Musi River bed.
Although Rangareddy District Collector K. Shashanka was absent during the on-site inspection, he later held a meeting with officials from GHMC, Revenue, Irrigation, and the municipality at the MRO office in Rajendranagar. During the meeting, the Collector asked officials to gather detailed information about the affected families to facilitate their rehabilitation into double-bedroom houses.
Officials were instructed to seek police assistance for spot verifications and collect necessary documents such as Aadhar cards, ownership papers, electricity bills, and permissions related to the structures. Homeowners would also be informed about the risk of flooding and the unsuitability of their houses for future habitation.
During the inspection, the Collector revealed that 332 illegal structures had been identified in the Musi catchment area in Rangareddy district. Of these, 32 were in Gandipet mandal, while 300 were found in Rajendranagar mandal.
The authorities have formed four teams to identify illegal structures and carry out the rehabilitation process for affected families.
