Telangana government yet to submit formal Concept Note for Musi riverfront project: Asian Development Bank

The team of delegates from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) who are in the city with regard to the Musi Riverfront Development project, have clarified that the the Government of Telangana has not yet submitted a formal Concept Note for the funding of the project.

Speaking to the representatives of Musi Jan Andolan (MJA) on Friday, the team said no definitive agreement has been reached between ADB and the State government regarding the exact scope of the project or the terms and modalities of any potential funding. The purpose of the current ADB visit to Hyderabad is to seek clarifications from the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL) and to discuss the preparation of the Concept Note, which is a prerequisite for any formal project appraisal or funding consideration, the members who met the team informed.

Representatives of the ADB reportedly explained the rigorous due diligence procedures of the ADB that would follow after an agreement is reached.

MJA representatives presented media reports and the statement made by the Minister for Information Technology, Industries & Commerce in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, which referred to an in-principle approval from ADB for Rs 4,100 crore for parts of Phase-I. MJA reiterated the serious concerns outlined in their earlier submission on 12 November 2025, concerning socio-ecological injustices, legal violations, lack of transparency, democratic deficits, and financial unviability.

These include: misinformation regarding the project’s status and ADB’s involvement; arbitrary demolitions displacing over 400 families without adequate notice, consultation, or meaningful rehabilitation; a piecemeal approach to Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation limited to urban Phase-I, ignoring the integrated basin-wide needs of the river; continued delays in defining and publicly disclosing the river boundary; complete absence of meaningful and inclusive stakeholder consultations, in violation of ADB’s Environmental and Social Framework (particularly ESS10); no publicly available comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment or Social Impact Assessment despite ongoing actions; and persistent severe pollution from untreated effluents, with the project appearing to prioritize commercial and real-estate development over genuine, long-term ecological restoration of the river and its basin. MJA representatives who participated in the meeting were Meera Sanghamitra, Verghese Theckanath, Sajaya, Syed Bilal, Akhil Surya and others.