Hyderabad: In a move that could trigger a backlash, the Government of Telangana will take Israel’s help in its ambitious project to rejuvenate the Musi River in Hyderabad.
Israel has offered technical expertise for Musi Riverfront Development project. The offer was made when Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar met Telangana’s minister for industry and information technology D. Sridhar Babu in Hyderabad.
The minister conveyed his gratitude to the ambassador and said Israel’s willingness to be a part of the project would further boost mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Israel’s willingness to provide technical expertise for Musi project comes amid the ongoing political row over the project. Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have opposed the project as they say this would displace people living along the river.
The opposition parties have threatened to resist any attempt to demolish the houses of the poor for the project, which is estimated to cost Rs.1.5 lakh crore.
BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao has accused the Congress government of indulging “biggest scam in the country” under the guise of the Musi River Project.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has defended the project, saying it is aimed at rejuvenation of the river and not just its beautification.
The state government has selected a consortium of five companies to prepare a project report for the Musi project. They will prepare plans for the revival of Musi, project cost estimations, and mobilisation of funds from different agencies. They will submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in 18 months.
Meanwhile, Sridhar Babu also sought collaboration with Israel in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cyber security while noting that Israel is a global leader in these domains. He believes that Telangana will benefit from this collaboration.
The minister also sought Israel’s support in defence, agriculture, water management, advanced technologies, and industrial development. Ambassador Reuven Azar responded positively to the minister’s requests.
Sridhar Babu briefed the Ambassador about the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence City spanning 200 acres near. He requested Israel’s assistance in providing advanced training for trainers in AI and cyber security, besides expertise in wastewater reuse technologies.
The minister told the Israeli ambassador that the state government has set up Young India Skill University. He said if any Israeli firm comes forward to set up its operations in Telangana, it will find skilled human resources ready.
