Madikonda Residents Launch Relay Hunger Strike for Relocating Dump Yard
Local inhabitants say they are getting suffocated by dense smoke emanating from the burning mounds of garbage being burnt frequently.
Warangal: Residents of Madikonda and surrounding villages launched an indefinite relay hunger strike on Tuesday at the Madikonda Chowrasta in Hanamkonda protesting against the persistent health hazards they are facing due to the garbage dumping yard.
Over 1,000 people cutting across party lines and caste affiliations gathered at the Madikonda crossroads to demand immediate relocation of the dump yard, indicating a major escalation of their “Save Madikonda” movement.
Local inhabitants say they are getting suffocated by dense smoke emanating from the burning mounds of garbage being burnt frequently. Despite the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) spending nearly ₹45 crore on bio-mining projects to clear the site, the crisis has remained unresolved, as fresh waste continues to be dumped daily, neutralising any progress made by the cleaning agencies.
About 32 acres had been identified for the dump yard in 2007. The area is now struggling to manage approximately 450 metric tonnes of wet and dry waste that 2.5 lakh households across 66 divisions and 42 merged villages under GWMC generate every day.
While firms like Leap Ecotech Solutions and Cube Bio Energy have been contracted for bio-mining in multiple phases, nearly four lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste still remains. Plans to shift the waste to a proposed Waste-to-Energy plant near Huzurabad or to alternative sites on the city’s outskirts have been stalled due to land acquisition hurdles.
The health impact on the local population has reached alarming levels, with many residents suffering from chronic respiratory issues due to contaminated air. Groundwater in the area is also polluted.
“We are going through hell because of the smoke from the dumping yard. With air and water becoming polluted, many people are falling ill. That is why we have been protesting since last year to move the dump yard elsewhere. Our struggle will continue until it is shifted,” asserted Y. Srinivas, a resident of Madikonda.
Expressing the desperation, activist D. Sandeep Kumar stated, “We are unable to stay in the village because of the smoke coming from Madikonda dump yard. At the same time, we cannot leave our village. That is why we started this movement to save Madikonda. We have submitted hundreds of letters to officials since last year, but in vain. That is why we have started a relay hunger strike to fight for our survival.”
As the hunger strike gains momentum, the protesters have made it clear that they will no longer accept temporary administrative assurances. They are determined to transition from social media campaigns to physical blockade to pressure GWMC and district authorities to find an immediate alternative for the city’s waste management.