Rewind: A Tale of Two Rivers
Replicating a few facilities of the Thames riverfront in London will be of no use if sewage water continues to flow into the Musi
KSS Seshan
The Telangana government’s plan to develop the Musiriver on the lines of the Thames riverfront in London is to be welcomed as it raises hopes of Hyderabadis to get the Musi salvaged from its present state of neglect and apathy. The Musi today is a large dumping ground, a big open drain, a haven for anti-social elements and an easy prey for the real estate mafia.
According to the plan, the 55-km Musi riverfront will be beautified. Just replicating a few facilities of the Thames riverfront will transform and resurrect the Musi to its former glory. But most importantly, the Musi should immediately have fresh water brought into it as these development activities will be of no use if the city’s sewage water continues to flow into it.
Commonalities
Interestingly, Thames and Musi have certaincommonalities. The Thames runs through London like the spine dividing the city between north and south. The south side being old and traditional, while the north being a modern city. The famous Globe Theatre of Shakespeare times, the Imperial War Museum and other historical buildings exist in the south. It also has The London Eye,the huge revolving wheel. With tree-lined walkways along the Thames, the south bank has many entertainment zones.
- It was in June 1215 that King John signed the Magna Carta, the first-ever charter of individual liberties, at Richmond, about 20 km west of London on the banks of Thames
On the other, the northern side of the river has all the modern edifices with attractive architectural features like the London Stock Exchange, Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster and 10 Downing Street. There are a number of cruises on the river for holidaymakers. It is famously said that you will find everything you need on the banks of the Thames.
Like the Thames, the Musi too runs through the middle of the city dividing Hyderabad into two parts. On the south side lies old historical structures like the Charminar, the very first monument marking the founding of a new city Hyderabad by Muhammad QuliQutb Shah as early as 1591. Other important palaces like the Chowmahalla, Purani Haveli, Malwala Palace, Asman Palace, Falaknuma and Ashoorkhana are also found here. On the northern side are the modern edifices like the state central library, Osmania hospital, State Legislative Assembly, Secretariat, Erramanzil, King Kothi, Bella Vista, the Residency and many more.
The Musi remains an integral part and a symbol of Hyderabad.The much-talked about Hyderabad’s tehzeeb, the Ganga-Jamuni culture and the Hindu-Muslim camaraderie flourished on its banks for centuries. The Musi is also a witness to several significant moments in the city’s history, including the devastating 1908 floods, said to have taken away 15,000 lives and rendered an equal number homeless. The Musi, along with its twin Esi, is a tributary of the Krishna river. It takes its birth in the Ananthagiri Hills near Vikarabad.
- The much-talked about Hyderabad’s tehzeeb, the Ganga-Jamuni culture and the Hindu-Muslim camaraderie flourished on the banks of Musifor centuries
The Thames is the longest river in England that takes its birth in Gloucestershire and joins the North Sea after traversing 350 kilometres. The word Thames is derived from the proto-Celtic word Tamassa meaning dark. There is another school of thought with an Indian connection by which the name Thames is derived from the Sanskrit word Thamas, which also means dark, cloudy or black. It is to be noted that the waters in the Thames are black and dark. Yet another view is that it is named after the Romans who ruled parts of the country in the first century AD, and the word Roma means wide. The Thames river in some parts of England is called Isis, which means water. In the Oxford area where it goes by the name Isis, the famous boat races are conducted periodically.
The river Thames is irrevocably linked to the fascinating history and legacy of England. It was in June 1215 that King John signed the Magna Carta, the first-ever charter of individual liberties, at Richmond, about 20 km west of London on the banks of Thames. Richmond is a Parliamentary constituency represented by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Bridges on Thames
The Thames, as it travels through the city of London, has nearly 35 bridges connecting the two sides of the metropolis. The earliest bridge, known as the London Bridge is said to have been built first by the Romans immediately on their occupation in 50 AD. The London Bridge was burnt down during the Great Fire of London in 1666 but was rebuilt several times. The present London Bridge, built in 1973 and inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II, is said to be the seventh on the same site and widest among all the bridges in London.
The most iconic bridge on the Thames within the London city is the Tower Bridge. It is the familiar face of the city of London and is recognised internationally. Built in 1894 and located close to the Tower of London, it has two huge steep towers on eitherside connectedwith heavy iron chains. This is a draw bridge and both the wings of the bridge open allowing ships to pass. An architectural marvel, this bridge is often erroneously referred to by outsiders as London Bridge because of its popularity with tourists.
There are several other bridges on the Thames like Westminster Bridge close to the Parliament House, Blackfriars Bridge, the Vauxhall and Chelsea. However, the oldest standing bridge is the Richmond Bridge built in 1777. There are also a few underground railway bridges laid below the Thames riverbed.
Bridges on Musi
Like in London, Hyderabad’s old and new cities are brought together by several bridges on the river Musi. The Puranapul built by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, of the Golconda Sultanate, in 1578 much before Hyderabad itself, is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the 17th-century French traveller, extensively wrote about it in his memoirs. The Nayapul, Chaderghat Bridge, Bapughat Bridge, Nagole Bridge and other bridges on the Musi within city limits too are known for their architectural and aesthetic blend.
Thames, a big drain
The Thames till about the middle of the 17th century was a big drain as all the effluents of the city were let into it. Due to the strong odour, Londoners used to cover their noses with cloth when they approached anywhere near the river. It is said that wearing a necktie evolved as a sartorial practice among city dwellers only for the purpose of covering the nose with the edges of this long strip of cloth tied to the neck, thus making it easily available for use. The outbreak of the terrible Bubonic plague in London in 1665 that took away nearly one-third of the city’s population was due to the unhygienic conditions of the river and the city at that time.
Immediately after the plague, the river was cleaned up by the town council of London under Benjamin Hall, the Alderman. (Big Ben is named after him). Several steps were taken to make the river more hygienic. Strict orders were issued against throwing waste into the river and severe punishments and fines were meted out against the violators. The city also had for the first time the underground drainage system installed. It was around this time that London was also rebuilt on modern lines by the famous architect, Christopher Wren, after the Great London fire that burnt down a large part of the city. Today the Thames river is so clean that it supplies drinking water to nearly two-thirds of the city’s estimated 96 lakh population. About 40 km upstream, large filters are set up to purify and supply drinking water to London. The Thames Water Board is said to be the world’s best drinking water supply facility.
Musi, turned into drain
The case of the Musi is exactly the opposite. The Musi once was a perennial freshwater river with pristine water flowing to its seams providing drinking water to city dwellers. But after Osman Sagar and HimayatSagar reservoirs came up in the early 1920s and the Musi waters were diverted to fill them, and the river fell into disuse. As the Musi passes through the city, it unfortunately became a large open drain carrying all the day’s good and sewage waters. People passing near the Musi, like the Londoners, have to cover their noses against the strong stink it raises.
- The Musi once was a perennial freshwater river, providing drinking water to city dwellers
Musi’s pollution levels are said to have reached appalling proportions in recent years. Hazardous chemicals have been found in the effluents indiscriminately left into the riverbed by the errant industries. Several surveys revealed that children aged five or six years who reside on its banks are experiencing premature hair greying and the residents are prone to lung-related problems and other health issues.
Schemes on Paper
The Musi Riverfront Development scheme has been debated for over the past two decades. It was originally planned on the lines of the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad. Several teams from Telangana were also sent earlier to replicate the Sabarmati model for Musi. Finally, the technical team concluded that the Sabarmati model was not suitable for the Musi due to ‘different gradients of the two rivers’. In fact, any of the Gujarat models was a red rag to many other States in the recent past and Telangana was no exception.
- The Thames till about the middle of the 17th century was a big drain as all the effluents of the city were let into it
Some years ago, Namami Gange was taken up as a government of India’s flagship project with the promise of cleaning up the entire stretch of the river Ganga. The Narmada Bachao campaign to save the Narmada river has been on the cards for decades. With not even an iota of change in the lives of either Ganga or Narmada, it would be preposterous to expect that Musi’s fortunes would fortunes would change for the better. But if it changes, the proposed Musi riverfront is sure to make Hyderabad the most beautiful metropolis in the country.
Save Musi Movement
Many local NGOs, conservationists and activists have been urging the government time and again to find the pollutants at the source and take stringent measures to stop such crimes against the river. They also urged the authorities to introduce solar energy-driven clean-up techniques and waste management methods to save Musi. In 2017, a voluntary organisation ‘Rally for Rivers’ was set up by a few well-meaning city-based environmentalists to bring to the notice of the authorities the need to save Musi and also to sensitise people against the indiscriminate polluting of the river. Thousands of volunteers of this organisation met for a day in September that year as a part of their campaign to save the river. Unfortunately, nothing happened and Musi continues to be in distress.
(The writer is a retired Professor of history at the University of Hyderabad)
