HYDERABAD: The state govt’s ambitious plan to rejuvenate and beautify Musi riverfront has hit a roadblock. As many as 12,000 buildings and 200 open land parcels apart from thousands of encroachments stand in the way of the beautification project.
The structures, including big apartment complexes, gated communities and independent houses, have come up within the 50-metre buffer zone on either side of the Musi over the decades and the govt has its task cut out in pulling down these encroachments.
The Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd (MRDCL) has taken up a survey to identify the properties that are located within the 50-metre buffer zone and also who are in possession of the land. The joint survey by the revenue and irrigation officials is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
Sources in the govt said before 2009, the buffer zone for the Musi project was 30 metres and later GHMC and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority had permitted apartments within 50 metres in areas like Attapur, Nagole, Ramanthapur, Malakpet and Langar Houz.
While there are graveyards belonging to different communities, several encroachments have come up in Chaderghat and other areas under Malakpet and Karwan constituencies, especially on the Musi riverbed.Senior officials, who are part of the survey, came to know about the number of structures in the buffer zone areas after conducting a drone survey and also through Google maps. Now, an exercise has been taken up to identify the structures physically.As part of the survey, details like whether it is a private (patta) land, private land, govt land, endowments land or wakf land are being collected. Also, if the property is residential, commercial, worship place or a graveyard is being checked. The nature of the construction like permanent, semi-permanent, multi-storey building and age of the building along with the owners’ details, employees, self-employed and their financial condition are also looked at, officials said.
“Once the entire survey is completed, a report will be submitted to the govt for compensation and rehabilitation. While private land and property owners are eligible for the compensation and rehabilitation, families residing on encroached land by building huts and sheds on the riverbed will be provided 2BHK houses,” a senior official of the municipal administration department said.
Since chief minister A Revanth Reddy is keen on rejuvenating Musi river, the govt may come up with a suitable compensation package, sources said. “The CM is also planning to hold a meeting with Greater Hyderabad legislators to seek their support, especially in acquiring the properties,” a source said.
