Hyderabad: 11 arrested for dumping chemical drums in open

Hyderabad: The mystery dogging the police for six months now over who was dumping hazardous chemical drums in open areas in Yadadri Bhongir district has been solved. Rachakonda police finally lay their hands on the culprits and arrested 11 persons on Sunday with the aid of evidence gleaned from CCTV footage.

Police said that the suspects who include employees of private pharma companies from different parts of the city had been dumping the chemical drums out in open spaces instead of shifting them to treatment plants, which involves high costs. DCP Yadadri Bhongir Zone E. Rama-chandra Reddy said several of the suspects were off casting away the drums illegally at the behest of their managements.

The activity, been going on for months in Yadadri, Motakondur, Bhongir Rural, Bommalaramaram villages, spread panic among villagers given that the drums contained chemical and there was no clue about who was leaving them there. As many as six cases had been registered at Yadadri district and two in neighbouring Jangaon district.

However, relief came via CCTV footage analysing by investigating teams were able to identify an SUV no TS 03EL 5386 carrying some drums. Yadadri police conducted checks on vehicles on the Warangal highway and intercepted the suspect vehicle on Sunday. 

Police later seized two more trucks transporting hazardous chemical drums to the open areas based on questioning of the driver.

“These firms are supposed to handover the hazardous chemical to effluent treatment plants which neutralise them. But they used to dispose the chemical drums in the open to save costs, thereby polluting the environment,” said DCP Ramachandra Reddy said.

Employees of Vijetha Labs, Salubrious Laboratories and YagMag Labs, Pashamylaram, Viroopaksha Laboratories, among others along with store managers were involved in this offence, police said. Police arrested 11 suspects, while five others are absconding.