Musi development: Hyderabad residents stage protest fearing home demolitions

They are protesting against the state government’s plan to demolish about 12,000 houses in the Musi river bed and buffer zone.

Protests in Langar Houz, Hyderabad against home demolitions for Musi river development.

The residents of Langar Houz, Hyderabad, who are likely to be impacted by Musi River development works, staged a protest demanding justice on Friday.

The residents chanted slogans ‘CM down, down’, ‘Revanth Reddy down, down’ and they are protesting against the state government’s plan to demolish about 12,000 houses in the Musi river bed and buffer zone.

1,000 structures marked for demolition for Musi River Development:

On Thursday, officials surveyed and collected details of the people living in the Musi river catchment area in the city and identify those eligible for rehabilitation. The government will reportedly provide two bedroom houses in another location for the displaced.

Out of 2,166 structures which were found encroaching in Musi river catchment area, officials marked 1,000 structures for demolition.

The survey teams checked if people living there are owners or tenants. Officials collected the details of age, caste, aadhar number from property owners and after convincing them that they will get 2 BHK houses, they marked the house as RB-X. Rb stands for River Bed and X indicating that the house has been marked.

Nampally, Saidabad, Uppal, Amberpet, Asifnagar, Gandipet and Rajendranagar are some of the areas where structures were marked for demolition.

In recent times, another agency of the government, Hydraa has been demolishing structures built on encroached lake land. They have also been targeting structures built near and around Full Tank Level (FTL) areas and buffer zones. Several poor people also fell victims to Hydraa, losing homes and livelihoods.

G Kishan Reddy writes to CM Revanth Reddy:

Union Minister and BJP MP from Secunderabad G Kishan Reddy on Thursday wrote to CM Revanth Reddy on the demolitions being carried out by Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA).

“While removing illegal structures is welcome, this process must be carried out with fairness, legality, and compassion. The people of Telangana believe that the demolitions currently underway should adhere to these principles.

We unequivocally oppose illegal encroachments, but we also believe that any action taken against such constructions must follow due process and adhere to the principles of natural justice. Particularly in the case of the poor and the middle class, these principles must guide the government’s actions,” the letter read.

He further wrote, “The unfortunate reality is that many families have been misled by corrupt officials, politicians, and intermediaries, leading them to buy plots now subject to demolition. Unaware of the potential legal complications, these families built homes with their hard-earned money, only to now see them torn down. This cannot be the responsibility of the poor or the middle class.”

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