After residents cry foul, PCB issues notice to GHMC on illegal dumpyard

HYDERABAD: Residents of Nallagandla in the city have been crying foul over dumping of tonnes of garbage collected from nearby localities at the 12-acre open land which is meant for construction of a Rock Garden park. They allege that about 170 tonnes of garbage collected from the nearby 8 to 10 km radius are being dumped here daily causing inconvenience to everyone.

Following a representation from the citizens, the Pollution Control Board (PCB), on September 27, issued a notice to GHMC, West Zone. GHMC, however, maintains that they are awaiting alternate land from revenue department and eventually a park will be constructed here.

The Nallagandla Residents Association, Nallagandla, Serilingampally sent a representation to PCB regarding the open land surrounded by residential communities, hospitals and at least five schools, being converted into a dumping yard.

The PCB directed that GHMC should follow the Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules, 2016 as per the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. In its direction dispatched on Wednesday, September 27, the PCB stated that under rule 15 of the SWM rules, a solid waste management policy including collection, segregation, management and disposal of solid waste should be prepared. Besides this, a suitable site to set up SWM facilities should be identified and the local authority should also obtain an authorisation to set up a waste management facility from the state PCB, if the waste exceeds five metric tonnes a day.

However, this is not the end of their battle as the PCB is only an advisory body and has no authority to stop any of the activities taking place in the region. “We are consulting with legal experts to decide what action to take further as this direction will only help us to a certain extent,” said Hirdesh Gupta, a resident of Nallagandla. “It has become a feeding ground for pigs and dogs, not to forget, that the garbage will soon start affecting the groundwater too. Construction work to set up cleaning and recycling equipment has also begun,” added Gupta.

The residents are also planning to file a Public Interest Litigation soon and they are demanding that a park be constructed as per the plan which has been pending for the last two years. For the same purpose, an online petition was started by the residents.  

Meanwhile, D Hari Chandana, Zonal Commissioner, West Zone stated that only 2,000 sq yards is being utilised as a transit dumping yard. “We have written to the Revenue Department asking for an alternative land and once that is sanctioned we will move this. A park will eventually be constructed in the area,” said the officer. The work of cleaning up the place has also started and should be completed in the next 15 days, she further said.