Hyderabad: As the foundation-laying ceremony of the Gandhi Sarovar Project nears, the project, which is being undertaken as part of the River Musi rejuvenation initiative, is now surrounded in controversy, with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on one hand alleging displacement of residents and the ruling Congress denying such claims.
The BRS, on their handle on X, posted several interviews with residents who allegedly received demolition notices from the state government. They have also claimed that Congress was taking up land acquisition to set up a Gandhi statue with Rs 5,000 crores without a detailed project report.
“What is the need to build a statue by spending Rs 5,000 crore? What benefit does it have for the common man? Why don’t you focus on rejuvenation? There is so much trash near the Tipu Khan Bridge, even after the government erected barriers, people continue to throw trash. Who is going to address that?” one aggrieved resident was heard saying in one of the videos posted by BRS.
“First, build the houses to relocate us, then demolish our houses. What has he (Revanth Reddy) done except demolishing?” said another resident who claimed to have lived in the area for the past 15 years.
One of the sites mentioned by the BRS is Madhu Park Ridge Apartments, built on the banks of the Musi river in Langar Houz.
On February 16, the Musi Jan Andolan (MJA), a coalition of civil society activists, environmentalists, human rights groups and residents from several colonies along the river, had conducted a press meet opposing the “unilateral and brazen” manner in which the Telangana government was proceeding with the Musi Riverfront Development Project.
The group represented residents of Madhu Park Ridge Apartments, Shiva Puri Colony, Dattatreya Colony, Sri Vigneshwara Colony, Dream Homes Colony, Karywell Homes, PG Colony, Vishal Nagar and Sai Ram Nagar located along the river banks.
They had unanimously rejected the newspaper notification dated February 10, initiating the process of landowners surrendering land in exchange for Transferable Development Rights (TDRs).
They had also alleged that the government has not placed in the public domain the river boundary maps and buffer zone details linked to the project. It said there is no publicly available source showing the river limits, buffer areas and structures likely to be affected.
The collective also objected to GO no 921, dated December 16, 2025, issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, which exempts the Musi Riverfront Development Project and related works from the application of certain provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
According to the MJA, the exemption removes the requirement of social impact assessment, public consultation and expert appraisal. It alleged that this undermines citizens’ rights and called for the immediate withdrawal of the government order.
Telangana government fact checks claims
In response, the fact-check page of the Telangana government issued a clarification saying that the Gandhi Sarovar Project is currently in the planning stage and that no budget has been finalised or announced for the project, nor has the government issued any notification regarding land acquisition for this purpose.
They also said that no tenders have been issued for any statue construction, and any cost figures being circulated are completely false. The Tourism Department already owns over 50 acre of land in the proposed area, and a portion of this land will likely be utilised for the project, the government said.
“Misinformation regarding exaggerated costs, forced displacement, and land acquisition is baseless and unsupported by official records,” the fact-check page stated in a post on X on February 19.
BRS hits back
However, the BRS flagged the fact-check page’s claims as “false and misleading” and posted a notice that the government had allegedly given for acquiring 10.34 acre of land.
According to the notification posted by BRS leader Manne Krishank on his X profile, the government had identified two parcels of land measuring 3.08 acre and 3.26 acre in Madhu Park Ridge Apartments and Society, 0.18 acre of Hazrat Haji Shah Alam Dargah and 3.22 acre of Tourism Department land in Bandlaguda Jagir village of Gandipet mandal in Ranga Reddy district for acquisition.
Soon after the BRS leader’s post, the fact-check page issued a statement saying that land acquisition process has been initiated in Ranga Reddy district for the Musi rejuvenation, flood mitigation and riverfront development project. However, land acquisition process has not been initiated in Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, it said.
Gandhi Sarovar project
According to the state government, the objectives of the Gandhi Sarovar Project are ecological restoration, sustainable urban development and riverfront improvement.
On February 12, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and invited him to the foundation stone laying ceremony of the project, which is scheduled to be held in the last week of February.
He also said that in February 1948, the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed at the confluence of the Esa and Musi rivers. He said that the government aims to develop Bapu Ghat into a world-class educational, cultural, spiritual and environmental landmark, reflecting the ideals and legacy of Gandhi.
A “Gandhi Circle of Unity” and the world’s tallest Gandhi statue will also be built at the confluence of the Musi and Esa rivers, the Chief Minister has said.
In September last year, Revanth Reddy had requested the Union Minister to transfer 98.20 acre of defence land for the Gandhi Sarovar Project.
