VIJAYAWADA: The High Court has issued notices to the government and other authorities in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed alleging large-scale dumping of waste near the Gogarbham Dam in Tirumala.
The PIL, filed by Tirupati resident Chinnepalli Kiran Kumar, stated that nearly 86,000 metric tonnes of waste have accumulated over the past 20 years at Kakula Konda near Tirumala mutts, causing severe environmental damage.
The petitioner urged the HC to direct authorities to remove the waste and restore the surrounding forest area.
Hearing the petition, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheela Gunaranjan issued notices to the government, TTD, the AP Pollution Control Board, and the Forest and Irrigation departments.
The HC directed the authorities to file detailed counterarguments explaining the situation and the measures being taken. During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel DSNV Prasad Babu informed the court that Tirumala currently generates about 30 metric tonnes of wet waste and 25 metric tonnes of dry waste every day. He alleged that the waste is dumped at Kakula Konda without proper waste management systems.
The counsel argued that the authorities have failed to establish waste management arrangements, resulting in massive accumulation of garbage and causing environmental degradation. Hearing these submissions, the bench directed the concerned departments to respond with complete details. The HC adjourned the matter to May 6.