Musi: From an eyesore to a sight for sore eyes

HYDERABAD: The Musi at Nagole, LB Nagar, which citizens took great care to avoid due to poor sanitation and pollution, is now actually a sight for sore eyes. It has turned into a green lung space with an open outdoor gym, walking and cycling track, lawns and trees. The State government took up beautification of the Musi river on the lines of the Narmada river project in Gujarat. 

The Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL), the wing formed exclusively to rejuvenate the Musi, has formed a 3.6-km walkway between Nagole Bridge and KTR Colony at an estimated cost of `2.56 crore. Besides, tracks for morning walkers and plantation of lush trees give the area a serene look. The landscape has been developed at estimated cost of `2.12 crore. 

A National flag, which is nearly 100 feet tall, is said to have cost `22 lakh. Outdoor gym equipment under the ecological restoration of Musi has been fixed at an estimated cost of `44 lakh. The gazebo with pillar posts, connecting and supporting runners, roof and structure, mat on the roof side walls with wooden frame of Bodha grass has been completed as well, MRDCL officials told Express.

The project is being executed through two master plans, the Musi Action Plan, which is aimed to bring back life to the water body, and the Musi Road Development Plan to develop infrastructure in and around the river.