Residents of Dharani Nagar and Allwyn Colony in Hyderabad's Kukatpally area had to stay indoors on Saturday, after a large amount of foam from an overflowing tank, descended on their homes.
Stating that the foam was caused as a tank that was contaminated with industrial waste overflowed, The Hindu reported that the residents blamed elected representatives for ignoring the problem though it regularly occurred, when the city experienced heavy rains.
The newspaper also quotes them saying that the government allotted Rs 5 crore for the problem, but to no avail.
This is the second such incident in two months, as the same area, which lies close to the Kukatpally nala, witnessed massive amounts of foam flying around on June 8.
The Kukatpally nala is one of the four major nalas that dump industrial effluents into the Hussain Sagar Lake, and eventually the Musi River. The other ones are the Balkapur nala, Banjara nala and the Picket nala.
“We think that chemical effluents dumped into the lake began reacting after the heavy rainfall on Friday night," a local resident told ToI.
Many had also pointed out that this was the same area from where toxic foam overflowed onto the road in September last year.
Officials from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) visited the spot and examined the foam, besides collecting samples.
“We suspect that the foam is due to the formation of ‘Filamentus Bacteria’ that forms from lack of oxygen in the water body. We are working on a long term solution, but for now, we have managed to reduce the froth by spraying anti-foaming agents. About 50 to 60 kgs of anti-foaming chemical is being used to control the froth in the area,” N Raveendhar, a senior scientist with the PCB told Telangana Today.
“When there is less oxygen in the lake due to sewage and waste, these bacteria activate themselves and multiply,” DrSubba Rao, a noted scientist and environmentalist, told DC.
Telangana: Drain in Hyderabad's Dharani Nagar continues to spill thick toxic foam pic.twitter.com/eyapArHr3o
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017
#Hyderabad Not snowing, it's toxic foam spilled on roads from Dharani nagar drain & entering residential areas. Why govt failing to clean ? pic.twitter.com/wIZeVnJZvt
— SAKSHI KHANNA (@tweetsakshi) August 26, 2017
This comes after reports that Pedda Cheruvu, commonly known as Ibrahim cheruvu is choking with foam, due to release of toxic wastes from abutting colonies and direct release of sewage.
According to activists, the lake water contains high amounts of phosphate and nitrate content — perilous to the lake and the natural habitat of birds and animals surviving on it.
Another frothing lake in Hyderabad is the RK Puram lake.
The frothing was first reported in June, following which PCB officialsvisited the lake and collected water samples.
Preliminary tests showed that the lake may have frothed, due to a mixture of sewage and alleged dumping of animal waste.
According to locals, there are several illegal piggeries in the area that process pork and animal fat and continue to pollute the lake.