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Bapu Ghat: Hotspot for waste disposal

Hyderabad: The chemical dumping location at Bapu Ghat reeked of neglect — literally. A sharp chemical odour hung in the air, spreading up to 15 feet from the manhole. Piles of discarded chicken remnants added to the dirt, highlighting a grim reality of the location being a hotspot of illegal waste disposal.

The manhole into which the chemicals were being dumped had a green pipe breaking out of the hole. The manhole was built at dirt pile, where sand and concrete is sold, in an apparent attempt to conceal it. Locals said the pipe led to the Musi River, through which the hazardous chemicals were released.

Locals pointed out that the pipeline construction appeared intricate and was not done in a day. “This must have taken years to build, this is not a one day thing,” noted Vignesh, a local, pointing out the inundation and the line of the pipe.

“That dead vegetation is because of chemicals,” observed Iftiqar Ali, a social worker, adding, “Pharmaceutical companies generate tonnes of toxic waste. They slyly channel it into the river through hidden pipelines.”

This pollution is not limited to the spot and has a possibility of affecting the entire city. “This is indirectly killing people. In areas like Nalgonda, where groundwater is consumed, we’ve seen cases of diseases because,” said Narsing Rao, another local, adding that the odour in the drinking water in the area came from such chemical dumping.

Residents, who once washed clothes and carried out daily activities along the riverbank, have abandoned the area due to the pollution. Health issues, mosquitoes borne diseases, skin diseases like scabies have also become an issue among the locals who live around Musi.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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