GHMC dumps garbage at notified park in Hyderabad, Pollution Control Board issues notice

The municipal body on the other hand, claims that this is a 'temporary move', until a better location is identified.
GHMC dumps garbage at notified park in Hyderabad, Pollution Control Board issues notice
GHMC dumps garbage at notified park in Hyderabad, Pollution Control Board issues notice
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The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has issued a notice to the West Zone of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) after locals In Nallagandla alleged that a notified park in their area, has turned into a dumpyard.

'Rock Garden' in Nallagandla area was a designated park under the then Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) layout released in 2010.

However, residents say that the GHMC has been using it as a garbage segregation site for more than a year now. 

The municipal body on the other hand, claims that this is a 'temporary move', until a better location is identified. 

The area has several communities surrounding it, with five projects by the Aparna Group and one project by the Ramky Group, due to which the stench affects thousands of residents. 

In its notice, the PCB highlights the Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules, 2016 as per the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, and points to rule 15.

According to the rule, a solid waste management policy including collection, segregation, management and disposal of solid waste should be prepared within six months. 

Following this, a suitable site to set up SWM facilities should be identified and authorisation to set up a waste management facility must be obtained from the PCB, if the waste exceeds five metric tonnes per day.

The state PCB also points to rule 19, which states that the facility must be designed and set up as per guidelines issued by the Central PCB.

"In this regard, as per the representation of the residents of Nallgandla, it is observed that garbage dumping is taking place unscientifically in the area earmarked for a park," the PCB noted.

Last week, despite strong protests from locals, the municipal body moved forward to make the area a permanent garbage transfer station.

The GHMC stated that the area would be cleaned up and a small part of the land would be used to dump wet waste into a compost pit, and segregate dry waste, along with a Dry Resource Collection centre. 

There were also plans to build a large wall, to contain the stench, and transport the waste only at night. 

Earlier this month, citizens started an online campaign called 'Save Nallagandla Park', along with an online petition on Change.org.

"In the last two years, the situation has worsened with pollution and stench caused by huge load of waste dumped on the site on a daily basis," the petition reads.

"This waste storage site is illegal and is a violation of basic principles of municipal health administration," the petition goes on to argue.

The petition, ’Save Nallagandla Park from GHMC's stinking hub’, can be found here.

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