Hyderabad, Aug. 17: The stench from Musi river cannot be ignored. It is unbearable, thanks to the "lackadaisical" attitude of the authorities towards the sewage system which is channelled into the river. The dumping of garbage along the banks of the river is worsening the situation. People new to the city think that Musi is a huge open drain. As many as 18 nalas carrying industrial and domestic waste from various localities in and around city are directed towards the river. People living in the vicinity of Musi and motorists passing over bridges across the river say the stench causes a nauseating feeling. The filth and garbage accumulated in the river acts as a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. What's more, even the garbage transfer station of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation at Imli Bun abuts the river and tonnes of garbage spills into the Musi with officials turning a blind eye to it. With the unchecked inflow of filth, Musi has turned into a big open drain. Apart from the sewage and industries, even automobile units and other smaller facilities continue to divert waste into the river. The Rs 1,000-crore Musi revitalisation and beautification project taken up by the government has headed nowhere even after four years. Environmentalists and heritage lovers have been arguing that projects such as Musi Beautification programme are only aimed at spending money and favouring vested interests. The Musi River is part of the history and heritage scheme of Hyderabad city. It emerges from Anantagiri Hills, about 90 km to the west of Hyderabad and flows through Vikarabad, Pargi, Chevella, Kalvakul, Palankul and Golconda mandals and reaches Osmansagar reservoir at Gandipet which was built in 1920 to contain flood waters. Lack of proper conservation of forests and grass lands in Anantagiri area and diversion of water for cultivation of crops like paddy has resulted in less inflow into Osmansagar. The real estate boom in its catchment areas is also drying up the river. Down Osmansagar, it flows through the heart of the city till its confluence with the Krishna river near Wazirabad in Nalgonda district. The Forum for Sustainable Development secretary, Dr S. Jeevananda Reddy, told this correspondent that the catchment area has to be protected first from encroachments to ensure that the natural inflow of water into Musi is not hampered or impeded. "To ensure the cleanliness of Musi, we must ensure that the domestic sewage from the upriver towns on the banks of the river are treated before being let into it. Similarly the chemical pollutants from the industrial estates have to be adequately treated," Dr Reddy said. "In the name of