Hyderabad: Dharani Nagar drain which had severe chemical frothing after the first monsoon showers is polluted with surfactants, said senior Pollution Control Board member N Ravindhar. The reports on the samples collected from the nala showed alarming amounts of surfactants. The official said that in a liter of the water, about 7-8 mg of detergents was found dissolved.
The normal range of surfactants found in drain water is 1-2 mgs which could go upto 3 mgs per liter, but the Dharani Nagar nala had double the level. “We are suspecting septic tank leakage and discharge of untreated domestic sewage as the reason,” said N. Ravindhar, Senior Scientist at Telangana State Pollution Control Board.
But the locals in the area for long have claimed that discharge from Jeedimetla industrial area has been a contributor too. But PCB officials deny this claim saying no water source connects the two areas. “Illegal dumping of chemical waste can not be ruled out. We have increased night surveillance in the area,” said Kumar Pathak, Environment Engineer. The PCB remains clueless on how to tackle the menace. At multiple points from where the nala flows, sewage pipes from the colonies can be seen releasing their waste directly into the nala.
GHMC officials though deny any linkage of the domestic drainage with the nala. “When water pipelines were laid, the entire underground drainage got disturbed which may have lead to release of untreated domestic waste,” said Raveendhar Puppala, who was the previous Deputy Commissioner of the area when the incident took place.
