Musi Master Plan to be prepared phase-wise over a year

Dana Kishore addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

The international agency to be selected through global tenders will prepare Aggregate Master Plan for Musi Riverfront Development in three phases over one year’s time.

Tenders have already been called for and the agency will be finalised in a week’s time, Principal Secretary M. Dana Kishore informed during a press conference on Saturday (September 28, 2024).

As part of the project, an East-West corridor would be developed along the river on both the sides, which would simplify commuting to the Outer Ring Road from the centre of the city. Heritage bridges would be constructed across the river at 16 to 18 locations, where hawkers would be given space for their businesses.

The existing hawkers on Purana Pul and other bridges would be accommodated too. Consultations were being held with the Ministry of Defence for defence lands along the river. Recreation zones, parks and businesses would flourish along the river, Mr. Kishore said.

Tapping Godavari water

A total 15 tmcft of water would be tapped from Godavari river, of which five tmcft would be used to fill the twin reservoirs.

Of the five tmcft, 2.5 tmcft would be pumped for drinking water requirements of the city, and the remaining would be released into Musi and checkdams would be built so as to ensure clean water in the river.

Remaining 10 tmcft water from Godavari would be used for the drinking water requirement of Western Hyderabad, Mr. Kishore said.

The aim was to ensure clean water flowing in the river by June-July, 2026, for which the government had sanctioned ₹10,000 crore. Tenders for the proposals would be called in a week.

STPs

Towards ecological improvement of the river, 13 more sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity to treat 970 million litres per day had been proposed in the area outside the GHMC and within ORR, for which ₹3,800 crore had been sanctioned. Tenders would be called for next week.

When asked about separation of stormwater drains from sewerage lines, Mr. Kishore said a ₹7,000 crore project proposal for sewerage network had been sent to the Asian Development Bank and other international financing agencies. A sewerage network was already being done on Karwan and Chaderghat areas of the Old City with an expenditure of ₹650 crore.

A total 174 locations had been identified where stormwater drainage intersects with sewerage lines, and at 34 of these locations, the streets were very narrow necessitating diversion of stormwater. These works were being taken up during Phase-II of Strategic Nala Development Project for which an allocation of ₹586 crore had been made, he added.