Hyderabad: Emptying Hussainsagar would expose residents to unbearable stench and the consequences would be tragic.
M. Veda Kumar, the president of Forum For Better Hyderabad, said, “Dr Kodarkar’s study on Hussainsagar states that the bed of the Tank Bund, which has hazardous substances in the sediment, once exposed to air and sun would lead to air pollution. Hence, the excavation should be taken up after appropriate assessment.”
Scientific disposal of the sediment is another major issue. Due to extreme pollution, plants are withering near the Gajularamarao landfill. Earlier, the AP Pollution Control Board had conducted tests on samples collected from the dumping site. And apart from raising major environmental concerns, the test results had negated the claims of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, which had repeatedly dismissed allegations of toxicity.
The test results had shown the presence of selenium (1.8 milligram per one kilogram of waste), mercury (0.5 mg/kg), lead (34 mg/kg), cobalt (6.1 mg/kg), nickel (15 mg/kg), cadmium (5.9/kg), copper (42 mg/kg) and vanadium (21mg/kg) besides relatively smaller concentrations of other compounds.
Officials have, therefore, insisted on adopting safeguards to cover the waste and prevent it from contaminating water.
T. Hanumanth Rao, said, “Dumping has to be done scientifically. Before dumping, the landfill needs to have a non-permeable cover and after filling, it also needs to be covered by the same non-permeable membrane so that seepage of heavy metals and draining through downpours don’t occur.”
The de-watering process will also take a toll on all nearby commercial establishments, right from Water Front, Eat Street, Jalvihar, Hyderabad Boat Club all the way to IMax. That apart, Hussainsagar is surrounded by slums that were set up 30 years ago. They do not have sewerage systems and all the waste directly enters the tank through small nalas. To carry out the de-watering, the Water Board should first construct an outlet system for these slums to restrict the inflow of waste into the lake.
Alya Khatoon, adviser of the Basthi Vikas Manch, said, “There are 140 slums surrounding the tank with a population of close to 2.5 lakh; 90 per cent of the bastis’ sewer lines are directly connected to the tank. Even the elite crowd at Road No. 10 Banjara Hills should stop connecting their drain lines to the lake.”
