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Telangana CM unveils Musi riverfront development plan
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy announced the Musi rejuvenation project to enhance Hyderabad's riverfront, promote sustainability, and improve urban infrastructure.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday said his government has taken up the Musi rejuvenation and riverfront development project for sustainable development of Hyderabad city, to provide a clean and green environment to the people while focussing on the economic development.
Speaking to reporters after making a presentation on the project, the chief minister said it aimed at transforming Hyderabad’s riverfront, improve environmental conditions, and position the city to compete with leading global metropolitan centres.
During his recent visits to global cities such as Singapore, Dubai, London, and Seoul, he had studied their urban development models to understand what Telangana needs for sustainable growth, he said.
“Economies across the world have flourished along river basins. If Telangana and Hyderabad have to move forward on the path of development, the Musi River must be rejuvenated,” the chief minister said.
Revanth Reddy noted that Hyderabad had inherited a remarkable urban legacy from the rulers of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The reservoirs built over a century ago, he said, continue to serve the drinking water needs of the city even today.
The chief minister questioned why opposition parties such as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party were opposing the Musi rejuvenation initiative. “If they are not in favour of the project, they should at least offer constructive suggestions on how it should be implemented,” he said, adding that he was open to accepting useful recommendations from all quarters.
Explaining the project in detail, Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) managing director EV Narasimha Reddy said the project was aimed not only at flood mitigation but also at transforming the river corridor into a major economic and urban infrastructure asset.
He said the 2020 Hyderabad floods were among the heaviest rainfall events recorded in the city in the last century. The floods claimed more than 50 lives and caused damages exceeding ₹5,000 crore, with several neighbourhoods along the Musi corridor submerged.
“The rainfall patterns are changing rapidly. Hyderabad is now frequently recording 200–300 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, events that were previously considered ‘once-in-a-century’ occurrences but are now happening every three to five years,” he said, adding that reviving the Musi River was no longer optional but essential to prevent future disasters.
The proposed Musi Riverfront project aims to unlock the potential of a 55-kilometre-long river corridor in Hyderabad. To prepare the master plan, a consortium comprising Meinhardt Singapore, RIOS, and Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the Aggregate Master Planner.
In the first phase, focus will be on two river stretches — Esa and Musi rivers converging at Gandhi Sarovar and will include major flood mitigation and infrastructure works. It includes river cleaning through removal of accumulated silt and debris, riverbed profiling based on hydrological assessments, construction of flood mitigation walls and slope stabilisation, development of roads along both riverbanks, installation of trunk sewer mains and stormwater drains and construction of water retention structures such as weirs and barrages.
The tentative cost of Phase-1 is estimated at ₹6,500–7,000 crore, excluding land acquisition and Transferable Development Rights (TDR) costs.
A major parallel infrastructure project by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) will support the Musi rejuvenation plan. The project proposes a 20 TMC water augmentation system.
The project also proposes extensive sewerage infrastructure along the Osmansagar–Himayatsagar stretch up to Gandhi Sarovar. A ring bund along the Outer Ring Road corridor is planned to facilitate the distribution and reuse of treated grey water for landscaping, irrigation, construction, and industrial purposes.
The development plan also proposes new connectivity infrastructure including vehicular, multimodal, and pedestrian bridges. In total, 14 bridges are planned along the corridor. Additionally, three barrages will be constructed for water retention.
A key focal point of the project is Gandhi Sarovar at Bapu Ghat, a historically and spiritually significant location where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed in 1948. Located at the confluence of the Esa and Musa rivers, the site is regarded as one of Hyderabad’s important memorial landmarks, the official said.
