Hyderabad: A terrible smell permeates the air in AS Rao Nagar, Defence Colony, Saket and Kushaiguda after 7 pm when the air blows from the Jawaharnagar dump yard.
The lower temperature is only making the stink more intense. Architect Medha Naniwadekar, a local resident, said, “The stink often becomes unbearable. It started before Diwali when there was a slight dip in the temperatures and it has started again.”
Residents carried out a signature campaign on Sunday to protest the stink, an annual feature during winter.
The Pollution Control Board and the GHMC have stated that they have started capping the garbage at the dump yard, and 95 per cent of the job is been. But there is still the matter of daily dumping of more garbage.
Mr C.S. Chandrashekar, general secretary, Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad, said, “The stench is the same as last year and that is the major reason for the colonies raising the concern. If the wind movement is strong the stink spreads up to Vikrampuri and Karkhana Road.”
A senior PCB member said, “There are no processes which are done at night. Officially we have got complaints only from residents of Dammuguda for the last one year. We have not received complaints from the other colonies.”
There is 12 million tonnes of waste in the dump yard, much of it capped according to the GHMC. But 500 garbage-laden trucks dump waste every day between 8 pm and 10 am the next day.
Due to the warm temperature there is no stink during the day but as night falls the mercury dips and the stench gets stronger.
The GHMC along with the concessionaire Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited is carrying out the work of segregation of garbage and capping the trash pile. GHMC said the load can be reduced if residents separate dry and wet waste at home.
Due to the mixing of food, plastic, cardboard and sanitary waste, the decaying garbage has a strong odour, said a GHMC health officer.
