Hyderabad: The state government has decided to go ahead with the Hyderabad Pharma City project and has scheduled the crucial environmental hearing for September 18. The hearing will take place at the proposed site of the project in Medipalli in Yacharam mandal.
In its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, the government dismissed the apprehensions of environmentalists that the project would spell doom for the local ecology and be highly polluting.
Pharma City, being developed by the TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, will cover 19,331.2 acres in Kandukur, Yacharam and Kadthal mandals of Ranga Reddy district. A major portion of land will be used for manufacturing while the rest will be used for setting up a pharma university, research and development and ancillary hub, and a township.
The HPC site is divided into six zones, for industrial and non-industrial development. According to the EIA report, the project area is degraded upland with undulating terrain and sparse vegetation.
There are reserve forests situated around the site. And while the government claims that there will be zero waste water discharge and thus no water pollution, the EIA report admits that air pollution is a major concern.
The EIA report says: “Boilers used to produce steam with coal as fuel is a big source of air pollution. Around 230 boilers, each of 10 tonnes per hour capacity, will lead to major pollutants sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
A 250 MW gas fuelled engine coupled cogeneration (power & cooling) plant will be another source of air pollution. Nitrogen oxide will be the only pollutant of concern. A three MW waste to energy plant has also been proposed which will also be another source of pollution.” The report, however, goes on to claim that the level of air pollution will be within prescribed limits.
“In Pharma City, domestic sewage from residential, institutional and commercial areas and industrial effluent from pharma industries are to be treated. Total municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in HPC in ultimate phase has been estimated at about 164 tonnes per day. As no waste water will be discharged into any outside water body, there will be no impact on the water quality of any surface water bodies of the area,” it said.
A Light Rail Transit system has been proposed for public transportation within the HPC. A rail spur line is proposed from the southern side of HPC to Shadnagar railway station, which is located at a distance of 48 km.
