HYDERABAD: Residents of Malkajgiri, Kapra, ECIL, Sainikpuri, Yapral, Dammaiguda, and a few other surrounding areas have no option but to put up with the pungent stench emanating from the hillock of garbage at the Jawahar Nagar dumpyard.
“The fetid smell has made the lives of people here miserable, as we can’t even keep our doors and windows open. People who aren’t used to it throw up when they come here. Imagine how badly it must be affecting the health of those who live here. But the officials don’t care about us,” said Yadhgiri Sirpunch, a resident of Kapra.
The people living near the dumpyard allege that even though the government claims to be treating waste properly inside the facility, there is no difference. None of them know what actually goes on at the dumpyard as they don’t have access to the facility. They want the government to include a few residents of the nearby colonies as stakeholders when discussing issues prevailing in Jawahar Nagar.
“When we contact officials, they say they have been doing ‘capping’ to reduce the stench, but the air still smells like a combination of rotting carcasses, burning rubber and ammonia. Instead of just listening to the officials, we want them to listen to us and then come up with solutions,” said FNEC vice-sectary Srinivas. Residents also claim that the dumpyard is affecting the quality of their groundwater because of leaching. “The groundwater is so polluted that most people here get red-coloured water,” said another resident.