Residents on banks of Musi on edge

Hyderabad: With Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar getting heavy inflows and possibility of gates being opened any time soon, residents on Musi river remained on the edge. The authorities began alerting the residents and in some localities urged them to vacate.

The officials of GHMC and other departments who kept tabs on inflows received by the twin reservoirs whose waters feed the Musi river, by evening began taking precautionary measures. “As a precautionary measure, GHMC informed the residents to vacate the flood-affected houses at Hyder Enclave in case of opening of gates Himayat Sagar into Musi river. Engineering teams are present at these houses and intimating the same as a precautionary measures,” said Deputy Commissioner of Rajendra Nagar Circle, K Ravi Kumar.

In case gates are opened, the waters from Himayat Sagar will swell the Musi passing through the Sun City area, through Langar Houz, Attapur, Jiyaguda, Darulshifa, Malakpet, Amberpet and Moosarambagh. According to observers, in case the gates are opened the localities, particularly slums on the banks of river including Jiyaguda till Moosarambagh may be affected. “I hope these gates are not opened this time, as construction activities like the causeway on the lower riparian of the river will choke the river causing flooding on the banks. Beginning from Jiyaguda, the river banks have dwellings. Hope the authorities assess the situation beforehand to avert any loss of life and property. The government which has initiated HYDRA should have cleared all the properties in the catchment area of twin reserveriors, to prevent flooding of the Musi,” felt Syed Bilal, city vice president of Human Rights Forum.

In 2023, during the month of July the authorities continuously let go of the outflows from both Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar for almost a week. As the water levels roze, the residents particularly of Malakpet area left for higher ground. During the visit of former Minister MA&UD K T Rama Rao, they had sought explanation on funds being spent on projects which were part of the Musi Riverfront Development. “The spending of huge amounts of funds in the name of Musi so far are of no use to those living on river’s banks for decades,”

lamented Bilal.