Residents of Ameenpur in Hyderabad allege that a constant pungent smell due to the presence of several factories around them has made their lives difficult.
Highlighting a recent incident when several fish in Ameenpur lake died and were found floating on the surface, they allege that factories located either in Patancheru or IDA Bollaram are dumping chemicals in the lake.
On Sunday night, the residents living in Narendra Colony in Ameenpur said that they were experiencing breathing difficulties.
“The air was so dense and thick, we weren’t able to breathe properly,” said Srilatha, a local resident, alleging that such incidents took place frequently.
While others complained of nausea and headaches, all residents said that they were facing more discomfort than usual.
“The foul smell continued until 3 to 4 am in the night. We all came out of our houses. We’re facing a lot of difficulty during the night,” Satyanarayana, another resident, said.
“It feels like breathing in poison every night. The pollution seems to have increased since the lockdown was eased on May 4,” he added.
The residents have already registered complaints about the issues they have been facing, including the unpleasant smell and the dead fish. Officials of the Telangana Pollution Control Board (PCB) had recently visited the lake and collected water samples for testing, but locals allege that there has been no follow-up.
“The chemical smell is present mainly during the morning and evening hours. Last week, after a lot of fishes were found dead in the lake, we even wrote to the Sangareddy Collector. The PCB conducted a test but we’re yet to get a report on it,” says Venkat Kumar, another resident.
When contacted, Ameenpur Municipal Chairman Tummala Panduranga Reddy told TNM that the PCB was looking into the matter, adding that the industries located in Bollaram were the probable cause for the smell and the dead fish.
He also assured that he had taken up the issue with state government officials, who were looking into the matter.
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