Hyderabad: Two activists have written to Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who chairs the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Musi Rejuvenation, raising concerns about the transparency and adequacy of the state government’s ongoing public consultation process on the project, and demanded that key project documents be placed in the public domain before feedback is sought.
In their letter, routed through Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and MLC Bomma Mahesh Goud, advocate Dr Lubna Sarwath and heritage activist Sanghamitra Mallik pointed out that the government had invited public suggestions for the Musi Riverfront Development Project by April 15 without releasing any scientific study report, detailed project report (DPR), preliminary project report (PPR) or hydrological and ecological assessments for the public to base their feedback on.
“In the absence of a PPR or DPR or scientific study reports, the public are clueless on what document feedback and suggestions are being sought,” the letter released on Monday, April 6, said.
RTIs remain unanswered: Activists
The activists also flagged that right to information (RTI) applications filed with the Musi River Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) seeking the PPR, DPR and a keyhole markup language (KML) file defining the river’s boundaries and buffer zone remain unanswered to date.
Among their key demands, the two sought the immediate publication of all project reports and study documents on the MRDCL website, an extension of the public feedback window from 15 days to at least 45 to 60 days and the expansion of submission modes beyond the single email address currently provided, to include post, courier, WhatsApp and other channels.
They also noted that no official notification about the consultation process had been issued, with the public learning of it only through media reports.
“We seek a democratic, transparent and accountable procedure of good governance practices with the scientificness that the restoration of Musi demands. Nothing short of this is acceptable for us Telanganites,” the letter stated.
The letter was copied to water conservationist and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Rajendra Singh, social activist Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and academics Dr Santosh Mehrotra and Prof Sandeep Pandey, also a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.
