Rampant garbage burning chokes dwellers across Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The burning of chopped trees, garbage, and dumping in street corners is on the rise in the city. People are complaining about garbage being burned in the open in several localities. However, the State government has banned this polluting practice, but garbage burning continues unabated in the city.

People are complaining about garbage being burned as municipal garbage collection vehicles do not pick up garbage regularly, the corporation's own staff is burning the garbage that has accumulated.

It has been observed that, though it is illegal to burn garbage and GHMC imposes heavy penalties for the same, both sanitation workers and denizens are found brazenly violating rules.

Burning garbage was witnessed in areas including Kondapur, Miyapur, Manikonda, Gachibowli, Nagole, Uppal, Yousufguda, Balanagar, Amberpet, Kukatptally, Malakpet, Chaderghat, Santosh Nagar, Yakutpura, and others across the city. However, to curb garbage burning, the State government banned garbage in 2017, but there has been no change in the burning of waste.

Mohammed Ahmed, a social activist, said that burning garbage is a crime in Telangana and could attract a fine of up to Rs 25,000. However, because municipal garbage collection vehicles do not pick up garbage regularly, as they should, the corporation’s own staff is burning the garbage. He also pointed out that the trees, which were chopped down recently across the city by the officials, were also burned openly.

Further, the activists pointed out that the black smoke emanating from the burning could prove a health hazard and cause chronic ailments like cancer.

According to the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, garbage burning invites a penalty of up to Rs 25,000. Activists urged the strict implementation of the penalty, particularly now that GHMC staff is indulged.

“Due to irregular visits by Swachh auto tippers, a massive pile of garbage has accumulated on roads in several areas, and there are no bins in the city. Since complaints of mosquitoes have been pouring in, the helpless sanitation staff has been burning the garbage,” said Venkateshwar, a resident of Saidabad.

Garbage contractors, after collecting bulk waste from apartments, are also often dumping the waste on unused roads and setting it on fire, say residents of Miyapur.

Moreover, on social media platforms, when the netizens raised the issue on X, posting about the burning of garbage, there was no response from them. However, on repeated complaints, the GHMC concerned circle responded with a reply that ‘the fire has been doused’,” Shoeb Siddiq posted on X.