GHMCs solid waste management remains worthless

The civic body claims that 3,600 tonnes of garbage is transported but only 1800-2400 tonnes end up at the Jawaharnagar dump yard

On an average 3,500 tonnes of garbage is generated every day in the city but not all the waste reaches the dump yard at Jawahar Nagar. Garbage is dumped on the main roads in several areas in the city. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) claims that 3600 tonnes is transported to the Jawaharnagar dump yard but according to reliable sources only 1800- 2400 tonnes gets to the dump yard.

The GHMC entered into an agreement with Ramky in 2008 for taking up Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) for collecting, transporting and recycling the solid waste generated in the city. Resentment from workers unions, corruption charges and questioning the agreement with Ramky has resulted collection and transportation of garbage has not been handed to Ramky. The project that was once touted to clean the city of garbage is now a pale shadow and the city is full of areas where the garbage is dumped on the roads.

Segregation of wet and dry waste at source and decentralisated management of waste at local ward levels which was the highpoints of the project has been ignored. “The GHMC is paying Rs 5 crore per month to Ramky since February 21, 2012 but there is no tangible benefit. Also the transportation work that the GHMC employees can do for Rs 80 lakh per year, the corporation wants to handover it to Ramky for Rs 200 crore,” said a senior member of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees Union (GHMEU) on condition of anonymity.

The Jawaharnagar dump yard reached its optimum level and is filled to capacity, the Telangana Government directed the corporation to identity 10-15 dumping sites in the outskirts of Hyderabad but according to GHMC officials no headway is made in this regard. Social activists and residents in the periphery of Jawahar Nagar are demanding relocation of the dump yard but the civic body seems indifferent says Arvind, a social activist.

Lubna Sarwath, convenor, Save Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) says that her efforts to get the action plan of GHMC on Solid Waste Management proved futile she says, “We gave representation since April 2014 but the officials are not forthcoming. There are at least 10-15 areas in the city that our research team identified in the city where waste including animal waste is dumped on the roads but there is no response.”

By:T P Venu