GHMC stares at filthy reality

​Hyderabad: It is inarguably the only department that is responsible for bringing about cleanliness in every nook and corner of the twin cities as also in ensuring that fatal attractions in the form of avoidable health-hazards do not seep into the city waters. Call it a tragedy of our times or whatever, the fact of the matter is that stink, filth and nauseating smell emanates right at the very place the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is headquartered.

Alas, the lurking danger because of the pathetic attitude of HMWS&SB officials notwithstanding, the authorities seem oblivious of the deadly cocktail” that has contaminated water at every level.There was smirk on the face of everyone who passed by the imposing Dr Burgula Ramakrishna Rao statue adjacent to the building housing the civic body. A similar danger can be witnessed at almost every nala” that is linked to Musi river.

Saturday, hours after the Ganesh immersion, was a near death-knell. Stinking heaps of froth rose from the damaged fountain (where the first Chief Minister’s statue has been placed), beneath which is the sewage-flowing nala. Environmental experts warn that the white foam is highly inflammable and can cause respiratory problems in the entire vicinity.

Lake protection and water management expert BV Subba Rao opines that the foam is not an overnight development but dates back to the previous governments, which turned a Nelson’s Eye to the danger signals after having allowed highly toxic industrial effluents into ‘nalas’ and the Hussain Sagar Lake.

I don't understand what the State government is aiming at? Since the launch of the ambitious Hussain Sagar cleaning operation, highly toxic water is being released into Musi River, which is already heavily contaminated,” he points out.As a precautionary measure, the highly contaminated water ought to be treated by installing sewerage plants at every industry. He also pointed out that even though there were STPs, not even one was functional.

Environmental activist Prof Purushotham Reddy echoed similar sentiments.He said that the recent rains have aggravated the problems to the extent that the oil discharged by several vehicles has flown into the nalas. Terming the white foam as “deadly cocktail”, he said that industrial effluents combined with petroleum products had spelt further danger.

He cautioned that like at Bellandur Lake in Bangalore, which is vulnerable to fire at periodical intervals, it may be as tragic in the city if steps were not initiated to stem further rot.A senior Water Board official said that the foam formed near the GHMC headquarters was due to industrial effluents. However, he denied seeing the froth in the heart of the city. He also opined a installing more number of STPs would minimise the danger.