Siddharth Tadepalli
| TNN | Oct 1, 2015, 09.24 AM IST
HYDERABAD: Wading through filth, flies and smoke has now become a common survival tactic for those living in the suburbs of Kapra, Keesara and Dammaiguda. Courtesy, the Jawahar Nagar dump yard that hosts the entire city's refuse. Not surprisingly then, men and women here are often found covered from head to toe while going about their routine chores. This, they confess, is the only effective way to shield themselves from the brutal onslaught of stench and insects.
The foul smell starts to fill the air right from Trimulgherry, as most garbage trucks pass through this area to reach Jawahar Nagar. While this expansive dump yard - spread over 300 acres - has been in active use for over a decade, residents lament how the ill-effects have only compounded with every passing year.
The air is almost impossible to breathe even as the population of parasites has jumped manifold. To add to that is the acute contamination of groundwater that makes residents think twice before even drinking a glass of water from their homes.
"We have been living here for the last seven years. Every year, the situation only worsens. As the city expands, we bear witness to more garbage, pollution and health hazards," complained Vijaya Lakshmi, a resident of Jawahar Nagar. Over the years, subsequent governments have not paid heed to our complaints, she rued.
"The stench has become unbearable. Neither were we consulted when the dumping started nor are we being asked now about our problems. First the air got polluted and later, the water turned contaminated. Our health is clearly at stake. But irrespective of that, the authorities have gone ahead and increased the frequency of trucks to the dump yard," lamented Mallamma, a resident of Ambedkarnagar, which is hardly three kilometres away.
Going by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's (GHMC) records, Jawahar Nagar witnesses as much as 6,000 metric tonnes of garbage being dumped within its premises every day. "Every time we fill water from the taps, there is an oily layer over it. We dread drinking the water without boiling," said Shaik Mahmood, an auto driver.
His fear is echoed by officials from the groundwater directorate who confirm that the groundwater there is heavily laced with harmful chemicals. In fact, a study conducted by the Centre for Water Resources in 2012 had reiterated the alarming concern. "The amount of Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) in the groundwater can cause kidney stones and heart diseases. The presence of high values of TDS in certain locations of the study area may be due to the influence of anthropogenic sources such as domestic sewage, solid waste dumping, agricultural activities and influence of rock-water interaction," the study had stated.
Not just salts, there is an abundance of chemicals such as magnesium, which can cause severe gastro-intestinal problems, the study said. Sadly, nothing has changed despite the shocking revelations.
"Such is the plight that schools in the area use incense sticks to keep away the stench. There have been several complaints from people saying they are unable to sleep, but to no avail," said an observer.
Residents couldn't agree more. "All our complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Initially, we were told that there would be a real-estate boom in the area and our properties would sell for crores. But, the presence of this dump yard has done nothing but ward away potential buyers," said Md Saber, who has been living close to the dump yard for several years now.
Incidentally, following a public outcry in 2012, a public hearing was conducted in the presence of officials from the Ranga Reddy district, Pollution Control Board, GHMC and other departments concerned to take note of this menace. But environmentalists maintain that it failed to address the concern of the common man.
"Things have only worsened with time. Today, the GHMC dumps lakhs of tonnes of garbage in the area. And not just that, we have often come across rotten animal carcasses in the dump yard," said D Ravinder, president, Environment Protection Society, who was present at the hearing three years ago. Is someone listening at least now?
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