Votes only if candidates sign action pledge

Quthbullapur: The Forum to Improve Things, an organisation formed two years back, is adopting a novel approach to solve the problems caused by the pharma companies in Quthbullapur, Kukatpally, Serilingampally and Patancheru industrial areas. The Forum is forcing the candidates of various parties to give in writing, that too on bond paper, that they will strive to resolve the issues related to pollution caused by pharma companies located in the constituencies. The Forum has also come out with a ‘people’s manifesto’.

The untreated pollution released by the pharma companies has been affecting a staggering 25 lakh residents, who have been suffering silently for years. The industrialists by greasing hands of the officials have been running the industries illegally by turning a blind eye to the regulations of the State Pollution Control Board (PCB). The industries have been dumping chemical wastes in open lands and releasing untreated effluents into water bodies thus polluting the atmosphere, the water bodies and also the groundwater.

Representatives of the Forum on Saturday submitted a representation, along with bond papers, to Serilingampally TRS candidate Arekapudi Gandhi seeking his assurance of taking action against errant industries. The Forum’s manifesto seeks to shift the polluting industries to the outskirtS of ORR, to identify and take action against such units, to hold regular meetings with the Pollution Control Board and to make efforts to make the effluents released by industries less harmful. The manifesto is seeking time of the PCB officials enabling the Forum representatives to explain the problems.