Dammaiguda citizens on hunger strike to shift Jawahar Nagar dump yard

Hyderabad: Dammaiguda citizens sat on indefinite hunger strike on October 20, asking to shift the Hyderabad’s biggest dump yard. Due to lack of maintenance a foul odour is spreading, from the dumpyard and has also polluted the groundwater, causing health hazards to the families living nearby.

5000 to 6000 Metric tonnes of waste generated by Hyderabad city in a day is dumped in Jawahar Nagar. It is situated in the middle of 30 villages.

Mr Prashanth a resident living in Dammaiguda was a part of the protest and said that National Green Tribunal had asked the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to alternatives for Jawahar Nagar Dumping yard on December 2017, but the GHMC. He said, “Lot of families and children living are suffering because of the pollution in the place.”

The smell from the dumping yard spreads a 15 km area, to places like Keesara, Malkajgiri and Kapra Mandals. During heavy rains, the odour which spreads is horrible claim the residents. Groundwater up to 10 km radius around the dump yard is polluted. Leachate from the dump yard is seeping into the ponds in Damaiguda.

Mr Mallik Yandamuri who has construction site there, says. “The official capped the dump yard, and there was no problem in selling the properties, for two years, but now due to the unpleasant smell and bad odour it has become difficult to sell properties.”