The Telangana government got a tutorial on river management from experts around the country, during the panel discussion on ‘Musi Rejuvenation & Blue-Green Infrastructure in Hyderabad’ conducted as part of the Telangana Rising summit at Bharat Future City on Tuesday.
Tapas Paul, ex-lead environment specialist of the World Bank, said the plan to revive Musi river needs to be more ambitious, and create true benchmark for India. Over time, the river which had been a lifeline for the city of Hyderabad has been converted into a drain, and without any reversal in river polluting practices, the current model for Musi development could create only a cleaner and larger drain.
“When your intent is a drain, it will be a drain,” Mr. Paul said, urging policy makers to think of an influence area larger than 110 square kilometres for a better Hyderabad in 2047.
He suggested a model adopted by the New York city, where denser development in a smaller area left larger open spaces for the city.
“Select 30 square kilometres for high density development and give 80 square kilometres back to the river for its sponges, wetlands and ecosystem services,” Mr. Paul said, suggesting mixed, multi-functional development rather than recreation and entertainment alone.
