HYDERABAD: There is a threat to the lives of people living in Jawaharnagar and Dammaiguda as they are living amid dangerous surroundings because of the over one lakh metric tonnes of unprocessed waste that has piled up and has taken the shape of a hill next to Jawahar Nagar dump yard.
This is the accumulation of waste generated in the last one year. Adding to the misery is that the foul-smell that emanates from the yard and the nauseating smell signal danger to the more than 50,000 residents living near Jawaharnagar Colony.
The continuous downpour has made the unprocessed waste wet and the locals suspect that microorganisms and bacteria are creating this stench.
A layer of filth has been formed in Dammaiguda lake after rain water carried the waste along with the flow even as locals continue to battle with leeches.
Venkata Subba Rao, resident of Jawaharnagar said, "Since the last six weeks the awful smell is making it unbearable. There is no response from the contractor handling the waste."
Angry residents met TRS leaders and sought the municipal chairperson Praneetha Sreekanth to take it up on social media. In response municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao has asked senior officials to personally visit Jawahar Nagar, take stock of the situation and file a report.
The state government has spent Rs 146 crore on capping the dump till 2012, However, after that the dump is not being processed fully.
A senior pollution control board member says "Not only is unprocessed waste lying all around but even new waste is added."
People are living a mere 500 metres away from the ‘unprocessed waste hill’ and they state that they cannot take it anymore.
Another local Hari Raju said "With the onset of winter the smell will worsen because of wind direction. Even those staying in Sainikpuri, ECIL and Kapra have been complaining about the smell. What about the residents who live in the ‘hill’s' vicinity?"
