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Hyderabad: Ecological catastrophe in making, warn greens
Immense damage being caused by harmful effluents let out into waterways, sewerage
Hyderabad: With around 6,000 industries thriving in and around Hyderabad, including around 500 chemical, pharmaceutical and drug manufacturing industries that emit harmful effluents, the city is on the brink of a major environmental disaster, caution experts.
According to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (TSIIC), there are 1,200 polluting industries within ORR limits. Many are not registered with the Pollution Control Board and a few function for a purpose other than what they are set up for. Pharma and chemical industries located in urban areas such as Jeedimetla, Sanath Nagar, Bachupally, Patancheruv, Balanagar, Nacharam, Charlapally and Uppal are causing great trouble to the residential colonies, public schools and colleges in the vicinity of the industries.
There are at least 2 to 3 fire accidents reported every month in Nacharam, says a resident Anusha living in Nacharam for the last 30 years. The Patancheru Bollaram manufacturing hub on the outskirts of Hyderabad is one of the most polluted industrial areas in India with 260 pharma and chemical industries established in the area.
Kajipally (40 industries), Gadapotharam (60 industries), Bonthapally (57 industries) are the other areas worst affected with drug manufacturing industries and its pollution. There are around 60 factories located in Jeedimetla and often facing fire accidents and gas leakages.
"Recently, five engineering companies in Nacharam and Jeedimetla received notices for discharging the industrial effluents outside and letting out factory waste into sewerage in March. Pollution is a daily activity; I can say today everything is controlled but tomorrow it might be different. As of now, situation is in control in Hyderabad, due to efforts of the Pollution Control Board. Disappointing factor is though several actions were taken, industries are choosing an easy way to push waste into drains and chemicals into air and causing pollution and contaminating our water bodies," says P Narender, Senior Environmental Engineer, Telangana State Pollution Control Board. The Board is conducting inspections to check violations every three months, he added.
In Shastripuram Colony alone over 400 industries exist. According to a report recently submitted in the high court by the Member Secretary of Telangana State Legal Service Authority (TSLSA), many of the industries in the colony are plastic recycling units operating without any proper permissions and have mushroomed under the nose of the local authorities.
"Based on the report, the High Court ordered the GHMC to file a report mentioning the names of the Deputy Commissioners who have served there in Rajendranagar since 2012 till date. We were happy that a case has come to hearing in High Court after 12 years. The case was to be heard on April 7, but was put on hold due to lockdown," said Mir Shoukat Ali, a resident of Shastripuram.
However, when told that some industries are freely operating despite restrictions and the hearing in court, an official feigned ignorance.
- (With inputs from Esa Bin Abdul Rehman)
