High Court pulls up GHMC for stench

Hyderabad: On being summoned for neglecting complaints by the residents of colonies near the Jawaharnagar dump yard in Medchal district, GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar appeared before the High Court on Monday and explained the steps being taken to improve the situation.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ragha-vendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy had summoned Mr Kumar while dealing with a taken-up PIL for not taking concrete steps to curtail the piling up of garbage at the Jawaharnagar yard. Residents of Sainikpuri, Yapral and other areas residing in the vicinity of the dump yard are falling prey to the air pollution, the PIL stated. The court had taken up the suo motu PIL by converting a letter written by Col. Sitaram-raju. Mr Kumar said the Jawaharnagar dump yard stands on 337 acres of land and the GHMC had confined garbage to 137 acres and huge polythene sheets are being used to cover it.

He explained the system to cap the garbage adopted by the GHMC. He said the corporation aims to produce electricity from the methane gas generated by the garbage. Two garbage treatment plants were installed to prevent foul smell from spreading.

The court directed the GHMC chief to file a counter by February 15.

Justice Chauhan inquired about the steps taken to prevent lake encroachment.

The bench said it would monitor the cleansing of the Jawaharnagar yard as well as the other PILs questioning the inaction of the GHMC in restraining lake encroachers.