HYDERABAD: Of late fire accidents in the city parks are on the rise due to poor garbage management. The recent fire accident at Indira Park is a case in point.
Such accidents not only highlight the administration’s failure to properly manage the garbage but also the dangers they pose to the flora and fauna. Loads of garbage — comprising twigs, dry leaves, fallen branches and trees — is ‘stored’ for days, and sometimes weeks together.
The reason, according to a worker at Kanjarla Laxmi Narayana Yadav Park near Erragadda, is that they wait for days for the vehicle to get the garbage cleared.
“We segregate the garbage into dry and wet waste. Then we store it to the capacity, that is enough amount of waste to one tipper lorry that comes every ten days,” he said.
The same reason was given by the officials at Indira Park, Sanjeeviah Park and Jalagam Vengala Rao Park. It is learnt that the park staff are ignoring the process of converting wet waste into manure by using of compost pits.
“Earlier, there were a couple of pits that were created to dump waste and convert it manure. But they are not being used now. We are dumping the waste near the park and it is collected and removed from the sport only once in a week,” said a sweeper at Vengala Rao Park.
Meanwhile, the fire department officials said the carelessness of smokers is contributing to such accidents. “Within GHMC limits, three to four fire calls are relating to the fire of garbage dumps. It has become an issue and our officers have given instructions to various stakeholders to clear the garbage from time to time,” said V Papaiah, RFO, State Fire Department.
V Krishna, additional commissioner, urban biodiversity, pointed out that Indira Park, in particular, is witnessing an increase in fire accidents.
“A lot of factors including rainfall, winds and electrical works result in felling of trees in the parks. They soon turn into garbage. The compost pits have become dysfunctional as the staff are not clearing the pits. The pits are to be cleared every three weeks. But that is not the case,” he added.