Hyderabad sanitation system goes for a toss

Hyderabad: The sanitation conditions in the city have reached an alarming state, with piles of garbage accumulating on the roads and inadequate waste disposal systems. Following heavy rains, the unattended garbage spread on the roads makes it difficult for residents and pedestrians to move around such areas. The lack of proper sanitation also poses a high risk of disease outbreaks.

The deteriorating sanitation situation is a cause of great concern for citizens who seek a clean and healthy environment. Though the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation formed the monsoon special teams, the city has been witnessing the rain water inundation, overflowing of nalas, and drainage, and poor sanitation. Moreover, with this, the mosquito menace is high in several areas and residents especially children are suffering from viral and vector borne diseases, says residents.

It has been observed that the entire city has been facing lack of proper sanitation, though the garbage bins were removed, the garbage points were seeing heap of garbage. The Resident Welfare Association blamed that the civic body has removed garbage bins as a part of its campaign to make Hyderabad a ‘bin-free city’, but it has turned into a ‘garbage city’. “The municipal authorities must take immediate and practical measures to ensure that the city remains beautiful not only on the surface but also from within,” says RWAs.

Various localities including Khairtabad, Nampally, Malakpet, Santosh Nagar and posh colonies of Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Somajiguda, Film Nagar and other areas like Shaikpet, Tolichowki, Kukatpally, KPHB, Begumpet, Ameerpet, Secunderabad, and in entire Old city, the pile of garbage can be seen, which is unattended by the sanitation teams.

Residents blamed that in many cases, the workers do not collect garbage for days, resulting in traffic snarls during peak hours. “People cannot walk or drive on the road because of the foul smell and the entire road turns filthy. Also, many motorists get skid,” said Prashant, a resident of Kukatpally.

According to activists, the proper sanitation is imperative for the authorities to promptly rectify the issue by implementing effective waste management measures and improving the sanitation arrangements across the city. The unattended garbage spread on the roads produces a foul smell which makes it difficult for citizens. Who is daily dealing with such inconvenience.

“Though the municipal corporation takes measures in the monsoon to keep proper sanitation and end mosquito breeding across the city, the mosquito menace continues to trouble citizens due to several factors. The major challenges faced by the civic body are the management of garbage and drainage systems which turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes when neglected for days,” said Mohammed Ahmed, TDP, GHMC minority cell vice-president.

Moreover, the Old city remains the worst in sanitation. Ahmed said that the GHMC authorities have turned a blind eye to the civic issues in the Old City, thus forcing residents to live in unhygienic surroundings. “Piles of garbage lying on several areas also right in front of places of worship are causing inconvenience to the people and devotees,” he added.

Meanwhile, for emergency services, people were asked to call the GHMC control room (040-21111111, 9000113667). GHMC’s Sanitation Wing is addressing poor sanitation complaints reported by citizens through the MyGHMC App, e-mails, Twitter, through GHMC’s Helpline Number, corporators and elected representatives.