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The Telangana government plans to build a Gateway of Hyderabad on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Gandhi Sarovar at Himayatsagar. The Gateway is planned to mark the beginning of the Musi river, which the government plans to revive as part of the Musi rejuvenation project.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has stated on multiple occasions that the Musi river will be rejuvenated to resemble the Thames river in London. The Musi rejuvenation project is being taken up as a public-private partnership by the Telangana government. It has also been touted as a permanent solution to Hyderabad’s flooding problems.
The Gateway is planned to be built near the Gandhi Sarovar, a lake being built at the confluence of the Musi’s tributaries, Musa and Isa.
Along with the Gateway, the government also plans to build a massive ‘iconic tower’, as a symbol of Hyderabad’s urban development under the Revanth Reddy government, an official said.
The ‘iconic tower’, which will also be built near Gandhi Sarovar, is reportedly planned to be the tallest in the world, subject to feasibility.
The monuments are planned to symbolise the government’s vision for the city’s development and the rejuvenation of the Musi river, along the lines of the Charminar which was built to commemorate the end of a plague, and iconic monuments such as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and other major global cities that also promote tourism, the official said.
CM Revanth has previously said that his government plans to build the tallest statue of Gandhi at Bapu Ghat.
A new flyover will be built from the Himayatsagar approach road towards Attapur, connecting the airport to Gandhi Sarovar, according to reports.
Meanwhile, CM Revanth held a review on Friday, August 8 on the heavy rains, flooding, and difficulties faced in traffic management in Hyderabad on the previous night while he was in Delhi. He asked officials to overhaul all the existing systems to ensure Hyderabad city can withstand heavy rains and floods in the future.”
Officials said that Hyderabad received a maximum of 15 cm of rain on August 7, which led to inundation of low-lying areas and traffic problems in the city.
Citing climate change as the main reason for cloudbursts, Revanth said that flood management systems need to be modernised accordingly in the city.
The meeting reviewed the existing roads and drains in Hyderabad that are not in a condition to withstand even 5 cm of rain.
Revanth ordered officials to expedite the Musi rejuvenation project to keep the city “free from water stagnation, inundation from flood waters, and ensure people are safe in the low-lying areas.”
The revival of the Musi river on a 55 km stretch will provide safety to all habitations along the catchment areas and prevent low-lying areas from inundation by flood water, he said.
To tackle obstacles to free flow of flood water, the CM ordered officials to prepare plans for flood water flow to the Musi from all sides of the city in the core urban region inside the ORR.
He also suggested that the Hussain Sagar, Durgam Cheruvu, and Mir Alam tanks in the city, as well as every tank and pond be connected to the Musi through drains. He said a strong water flow network should be developed ensuring all rain water from tanks, canals, and other water bodies from any part of the city should flow into Musi during heavy rains.