HYDERABAD: The Telangana government is set to take a significant step towards preventing the pollution caused by the Jawaharnagar dumping yard. On Saturday, MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao will inaugurate a leachate treatment plant in the area, which will help prevent water pollution in the future. The Malkaram Cheruvu had been affected by waste water due to the leachate accumulating in the dump yard. The contaminated water overflowed into nearby water bodies, causing pollution.
To address this challenge, the Telangana government has come up with short-term and long-term solutions. They started with a temporary measure, a mobile RO system with a capacity of 2,000 kilolitres per day in 2017, which was later increased to 4,000 kilolitres. The purification of Malkaram Cheruvu was also undertaken, along with the construction of stormwater diversion drains costing Rs 4.35 crores to prevent spillage of contaminated water.
In 2020, GHMC completed the capping of the dump yard, preventing flood water from flowing over the top. They also initiated a programme costing nearly Rs 250 crore to treat wastewater from Jawaharnagar and restore nearby ponds and water bodies. Ramky Group took up the restoration and purification of Malkaram Cheruvu and artificial lagoons.
As a result of these programmes, 43 per cent of Malkaram Cheruvu has been purified. The purification works for Malkaram Cheruvu have been divided into three phases, and GHMC has already completed the first phase, purifying 5.7 acres of the water body. Efforts to purify the legacy waste are currently underway. With these initiatives, Jawaharnagar will soon be completely free of pollution, ensuring that solid and water waste management in the area reaches a satisfactory level.