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On the morning of January 25, a Telangana RTC bus skid as it was making its way through Pochampalli mandal in the state's Yadadri District.
The reason for the vehicle's skid was not poor roads or faulty tyres, but toxic froth. Froth that had risen several metres high, and had overflowed from a stream nearby.
According to local media channels, the bus was heading towards Bhongir, and was just 20 kilometres out of Hyderabad when the incident occurred.
The stream is a tributary of the river Musi, which has long since gained the 'distinction' of being one of the most polluted rivers in the country.
In photos and videos of the incident that have surfaced, the froth can be seen several metres high, almost engulfing the entire bus, which was halted to one side.
Watch the video here.
While it is well known that the river had become a giant sewer, clogged with garbage, incidents highlighting how the pollution has spread beyond the city's limits is worrying.
The main cause for this froth, is excessive chemical waste, as several factories let out their waste directly into the river, without treating them for impurities.
According to activists, the froth is a result of decades of unchecked pollution that has steadily killed the river.
Even the state government’s sewage treatment plants, though present, are reportedly insufficient, letting the toxic chemicals in the river pile up.
The death of river Musi
The pharma boom in Hyderabad began in the early 1960s,when PSUs like BHEL, NMDC, HMT, BEL, HAL were being set up, and the Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) plant was allotted to Hyderabad under the then unified Andhra Pradesh government.
In the 1990s, the city saw great growth in the pharma sector, with a number of manufacturing units being set up.
In 1999, the state approved the 'Genome Valley' project, which led to the development of more than 100 biotech companies on the city's outskirts.
Many activists in the city allege that the companies violate the rules and release untreated effluents directly into Hyderabad's water bodies, from the Musi river to the Hussain Sagar.
The state's Pollution Control Board (PCB) has also admitted that the companies do this at night, to avoid detection. However, the PCB added that it has taken steps to scrutinise the outlets.
Following the latest video that emerged, Municipal and Administrative Development Minister KT Rama Rao, has stated that he would "take it up as a priority."
However, the Musi has remained polluted despite promises by successive governments.
Last week, KTR visited South Korea's Cheonggyecheon river, to study its restoration of the river, and emulate a similar experiment with the Musi river.
However, as of now, the river, along with several water bodies in Hyderabad, remains polluted. You can read our earlier reports on the issue below.
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