BRS opposes Navy Radar Station; KTR demands Damagundam forest be declared eco-sensitive zone

He said his party, in association with environmentalists, would continue to fight against the project, which threatens the environment and endangers the Musi River, a vital water source in the region

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao announced that the party was opposed to the establishment of the proposed Very Low Frequency (VLF) radar station for the Indian Navy in the Damagundam forest area of Vikarabad district. He said his party, in association with environmentalists, would continue to fight against the project, which threatens the environment and endangers the Musi River, a vital water source in the region.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is slated to lay the foundation for the construction works of the proposed radar station on Tuesday.

In a statement, Rama Rao questioned the State government’s contradictory stance, expressing surprise that while plans for a Rs.1.5 lakh crore Musi River beautification project were in motion, the same government was supporting a radar project that could cause irreversible damage to the river’s source. He demanded that the Damagundam forest, where the Musi originates, be declared an “Eco Sensitive Zone” to protect it from harmful development. He emphasised the need to safeguard Telangana’s natural heritage and the Musi River for future generations.

“Why is a radar station being set up in Telangana’s dense forests, endangering not just 2,900 acres of land, but also 12 lakh trees and also Musi River’s origination point?” he asked, highlighting the severe environmental damage that would result from the project. He criticised Revanth Reddy for backing the foundation laying of the radar station, stating that the Congress government was betraying Telangana’s interests for unclear benefits.

The BRS working president reminded that despite pressures for nearly 10 years, the BRS government rejected the radar project to protect the State’s ecological balance. He also drew attention to the Haritha Haram initiative, which was launched to expand forest cover in Telangana. “After all the efforts made to increase forest capacity, how can this government now allow the destruction of thousands of acres of forest land?” he asked.

Rama Rao condemned the Centre’s duplicity in environmental policy, where Gangotri, the origin of the Ganga River, was declared as an eco-sensitive zone. “If Gangotri deserves protection, why not the birthplace of the Musi River?” he asked. He expressed concern that the radar station, situated in the river’s catchment area, could severely affect the river’s flow and ecological balance, putting the future of the Musi River at risk.

Rama Rao also lashed out at the Congress government for enacting drama in the name of Musi River conservation. “If this government genuinely cared about protecting the Musi River, they would never have approved this radar project. Their real intent is not conservation but exploiting crores of rupees in the name of the Musi beautification project,” he added.