Hyderabad: Residents of Nallagandla gathered at the rock garden on Saturday to show photos and videos of GHMC trying to clear the garbage from the premises, to the court appointed advocate commissioner. Ms Kadari Anjamma, advocate commissioner, was appointed on Monday by the court to visit the dumping yard and note down the physical features of the place and also take photographs as evidence.
On visiting the rock garden on Saturday, Ms Anjamma was met by over 300 residents who came with photo albums and videos depicting the cleaning activity taken up by the GHMC over the past four days. Hridesh Gupta, a resident of Nallagandla, said, “More than 30 workers were employed and two JCBs were there to clear the trash but our main intention was to show the actual condition of the park as it might go back to being the same once the inspection is over.”
He further said that although the dumpyard was more or less clear now apart from a few piles of garbage, the advocate commissioner noted the stench in the area. “Garbage is being dumped here for more than a year and that was evident from the foul odour emanating from the place, an odour that we as residents have been complaining about.”
Residents also started an online petition group called ‘Aware Nallagandla’ which came to the notice of minister Mr K.T. Rama Rao, who tweeted saying that he would discuss it with the GHMC commissioner immediately and also asked the residents not to worry. His tweet read, “Municipal participation needs people participation and support.” The twitter handle of Cyberabad Police tagged the Commissioner GHMC and asked him to look into the matter.
Mr Vivekanand Pandey, a resident of Nallagandla, says, “The Advocate Commissioner walked around the entire park and took photos. She listened to us and also to the officials from GHMC very patiently. She spoke to a majority of the residents who had gathered there and shared the problems they had been facing for over a year. We are hopeful that the problem will be resolved.”
GHMC officials, meanwhile, informed the advocate commissioner that the dumpyard was being used as a transfer station and proper measures were being taken to ensure that no waste remained exposed. They claimed that the increase in volume of garbage had led to the problem. “As a garbage collection point, workers come at night and clear the area daily. We will try to ensure that residents are not affected henceforth and have informed this to the advocate commissioner,” said S. Pratap, AE from GHMC.
Pollution board shoots letter to GHMC on waste:
The TS Pollution Control Board has issued a letter to the GHMC regarding the ‘unscientific’ waste disposal method being followed in Nallagandla. Similar letters have been sent to apartment complexes and construction sites around the area because of the unhealthy ways of waste disposal. “We have been asking residents to ensure that they segregate their waste. By mixing wet and dry waste without treating it, and letting them into the water bodies or roads, is causing pollution. Many areas around the city complain about the stench caused not only by industries but also by wrong waste disposal methods,” said a PCB official.
Meanwhile, residents of Nallagandla have now begun a Go Green Initiative after the debacle on Rock Garden.
"We have tried to get residents on board a waste segregation plan. About forty percent of residents have begun doing the same and we are creating more awareness among the others. Hopefully in a year, we can become a zero waste community", said Hridesh Gupta, a resident.
