Hyderabad: Despite concerns raised by various sections, IT Minister D Sridhar Babu made it clear that the Congress government would go ahead with the River Musi rejuvenation project, asserting there was no question of going back.
“Whenever a good initiative is taken, there will always be forces that try to obstruct it. The same is true of the Musi.
But for the sake of future generations, we will complete this mission. Telangana will stand as a role model in water resource conservation,” the Minister said. Inaugurating the South Zone Conference of the Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), organised by the ITPI Telangana Regional Chapter here, Sridhar Babu stressed that urban planning forms the foundation of economic prosperity, adding that true development must go hand in hand with environmental sustainability.
“Constructing buildings alone does not constitute growth. Every policy we frame, every forest we protect, every river we restore, and every livelihood we create — these are acts of inter-generational justice,” he observed. The Minister pointed out that Telangana has already set national benchmarks in urban greenery expansion, carbon-neutral growth, water conservation, and sustainable transport.
He emphasised the role of technology in designing climate-resilient cities and called for planning that takes into account climate change, urban flooding, pollution, groundwater depletion, shrinking green cover, and rapid urbanisation.
