Musi going Yamuna river way: Now a stream of toxic elements, Musi in need of urgent attention

Hyderabad: It is not just the Yamuna River in Delhi which is covered with foam and is causing a high risk to the people staying along the riverside. Even the Musi river in Telangana is fast turning into another Yamuna River.

All political parties do agree that Musi River is highly polluted but no one wants that it should be rejuvenated for political gains and to ensure that their vote banks are not disturbed.

They do not seem to be concerned about the negative impact of the air and water quality in the area. On Monday the AQI index along Musi in Hyderabad was 129 which is moderate but dangerous enough to cause breathing discomfort to people with lung disease such as asthma, and discomfort to people with heart disease, children and older adults.

Old timers while talking to Hans India recalled an incident that occurred on the morning of January 25, 2017, when a Telangana Road Transport Corporation bus skidded as it was making its way through Pochampalli mandal in the state's Yadadri District not because of its bad condition but because of froth that had risen several meters high and overflowed from a stream nearby which was a tributary of Musi.

The main cause for this froth, is excessive chemical waste, as several factories let out their waste directly into the river, without treating them for impurities.

According to activists, the froth is a result of decades of unchecked pollution that has steadily killed the river.In the 1990s, the city saw great growth in the pharma sector, as the number of manufacturing units were set up.

Many activists have been raising concern regarding companies violating the rules and releasing untreated effluents directly into water bodies like the Musi and Hussain Sagar. A study found that the water, soil, and air samples from the river contained several different pollutants.

The pollution of the Musi River has negatively impacted on the health of people and ecology in the area. The pollution of the river has forced the washer folk community to leave the area.

Once considered a lifeline, the Musi River in Telangana has now turned into a stream of toxic liquids and effluents. Historically linked with the lives of the people of these districts, the river’s water was pristinely clear till about four decades back. But now, the water is toxic.