12
2017
MUSI MESSY
It joins the Krishna River at Vadapally in Nalgonda district after covering a distance of about 240 km. Due to indiscriminate urbanization and lack of planning, the river has become a receptacle of untreated domestic and industrial waste dumping out of Hyderabad. It is estimated that nearly 350 MLD( million litres a day) of polluted water and sewage originating from Hyderabad and Secunderabad flow into the river. Efforts to clean it have failed. The river water downstream of the cities remains highly polluted, considered a major disaster in Hyderabad. There have been many attempts made to clean the river but in vain. The river is most polluted in the city due to the addition of untreated industrial wastes. The water gets cleaner as the river moves away from the city and nearly 40km away from the city the water is fit for irrigation. This is due to the different treatment processes established. This proves that the water is not un-treatable but needs serious action towards it. The recent events in Karnataka, where water from domestic places was added into a lake, frothed and caught fire and burnt for nearly 3 days, should act as an eye opener for us and urge us to act immediately. Imagine a river full of untreated industrial wastes, what would be the condition of it if something like that occurs, can we stop it, can we stand in front of nature, when nature retaliates? Prevention is better than cure.
Of course, the calm river flowing through Hyderabad wasn ' t all about nature ' s bounty and love stories, but it was the reason of misery everytime it was in a spate. As per records there were over 112 floods in Hyderabad since 1572 AD and the worst according to history, over 15,000 people were killed and an equal number rendered homeless after the Musi floods of 1908. To cope with the enormity of devastation the then ruler, sixth Nizam Mir Hahboob Ali Khan, opened the gates of his palace On the positive side, the floods was a lesson for the rulers and that was where the modern era of development took roots. The rulers drew a roadmap and elaborate plans were made for development of Hyderbad, making it a planned city, with sufficient precautionary measures to tackle natural disasters. That is quite evident in the way the city progressing today. Clearly, not just its name, but Hyderabad has a special relevance attached to river Musi, which in all probability will get a new life if the Telangana government successfully implements the beautification project.