Plans for 5 more dump sites, but no progress

Hyderabad: Even as officials say that proposals are being made to cap the existing dumpyard at the Jawaharnagar site, it will take not less than two to three years to do so.

Currently, waste from the city is dumped at the 330-acre Jawaharnagar dumpyard and treated by Ramky, a private firm.

Though, a treatment plant is running, complaints about a foul smell emanating from the site haven’t ceased. Citizens complain of the stench reaching a radius of 7 to 8 kms around Jawaharnagar. In December, the TS Pollution Control Board served Ramky a notice for violation of environmental laws.

The increasing garbage in the city calls for more dumping sites to be identified on a priority basis. Identification of other sites to deposit the waste has been futile till date. The GHMC has been planning to have at least five more dumping sites for the city, one for each zone, but there has been no progress in this regard.

Experts say that an engineered landfill should be clubbed with proper processing methods.  “A sanitary or engineered landfill is one where garbage is contained in a system which separates it from surrounding environment. We need such a system to dispose waste properly,” said director general of Administrative Staff College of India, Ravi Kant .