SR Nagar: People are still complaining about garbage being burnt in the open in Chaitanya Medical Academy lane opposite the ESI hospital, even though the State government has banned this polluting practice.

Burning garbage is a crime in the Telangana State and could attract a fine of up to Rs 25,000. However, because municipal garbage collection vehicles do not pick up garbage regularly, the corporation's own staff is burning the garbage which has accumulated.

"Due to irregular visits of Swachh auto tippers, there is a huge pile of garbage which accumulates in several areas. Since complaints of mosquitoes have been pouring in, the helpless sanitation staff has been burning the garbage. There is a graveyard just behind our apartment; apart from burning bodies day and night, they have also started burning garbage in the graveyard.

The GHMC started dumping garbage beside our apartment which they did not clear and instead, started burning it late in the night which is against NGT order 2016," said V Madhava Rao a local resident, while speaking to The Hans India here on Thursday.

"We complained to the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) and later to the Central Pollution Board (CPB) regarding the burning of garbage in the graveyard. We complained to the GHMC officials regarding garbage burning openly. We also sent complaints on Twitter to Swacch Bharat officials.

The Central Pollution Board has forwarded our complaints to the GHMC and the government of Telangana but till date, no action has taken. This place is surrounded by hospitals, temples, colleges, and schools and is very unhealthy for the locals who have to suffer this almost every other day," added Madhava.