Fear of demolitions keeps Musi dwellers on the edge

Hyderabad: The Musi Riverfront Development Project forced the city residents to spend sleepless nights. Those living near the Musi River have taken to the streets in protest against the government’s River Development programme. They argue that while Chief Minister Revanth Reddy may hold office for five years, the curses of our poor will remain always.

Tensions continued to rise in areas surrounding the Musi River as residents protested against Operation Musi, which involved marking homes for demolition under the river's development. The residents of the localities alongside the Musi river have been protesting the surveying of their houses, fearing demolitions since Thursday, when the officials started marking the affected houses. On Thursday late night, a large number of affected residents came on roads and agitated, which was continued on Friday with peaceful protest rally saying no to home demolition till Telangana state secretariat, amid heavy police security.

During the agitation, the residents expressed their anger, accusing the government for destroying their lives by demolishing their homes. As part of the protest, the residents chanted ‘Revanth Reddy down down’, ‘CM down down’. Protesters expressed anger with harsh words directed at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, while cursing the Congress government for their plight. A female protester at Langar Houz said “Now we feel that we have made a big mistake by defeating KCR.”

The revenue department officials reached the areas along the Musi River including Malakpet, Chaderghat, LB Nagar, Rajendranagar, Langar Houz, Puranapul, Kishanbagh, Chaitanyapuri, Ramanthapur, Kothapet, and other areas to mark the houses that are in the buffer zone and riverbed. As they arrived for surveys on Friday, they were met with resistance from residents who blocked their activities. The officials turned back and left after the protesters yelled go-back slogans.

In Langar Houz, displaced residents held a dharna at the local police station, while others staged protests on the Ring Road, leading to significant traffic jams that stretched for kilometres. Protesters raised slogans against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing the government of unfair treatment.

Meanwhile, revenue officials conducted surveys in areas like Chaitanyapuri, Satya Nagar, and Maruti Nagar and marked homes for demolition. The residents obstructed the surveys, clearly stating that they had no interest in relocating to double-bedroom houses promised by the government. Protestors, especially women, emotionally pleaded with officials not to mark their homes, but the process continued under police protection.

One of the residents of Chaitanyapuri tried to self-immolate in an attempt to stop the officials. Later was stopped by the police and has been shifted to a hospital. His wife was nine months pregnant.

In Kishanbagh, locals staged a protest outside the Revenue Office holding placards ‘Do not destroy our houses’ and demanded ‘land for land’. They argued “Where are the AIMIM leaders now, when our families are on the streets?” protestor questioned on the silence of AIMIM leaders.

At Malakpet, a woman, a resident of the new Maruthi Nagar area said, “We have been living in this house for the last two decades, we have water connection, electricity, we pay taxes every year. We spent about Rs 20 lakh on this house. If this was government property they should have told us so during the registration, we would not have bought the house.”

As part of a detailed survey, on Friday, the officials completed the marking of over 1,166 structures for demolition and earlier on Thursday, they marked 1,000 structures. Out of total 2,166 structures, 1,599 in Hyderabad, 239 in Medchal-Malkajgiri, and 323 structures in Ranga Reddy district.