HYDERABAD: The global positing system (GPS-based systemhas been launched by the TS Pollution Control Board recently to track vehicles that carry effluents from industries to the effluent treatment plant at Jeedimetla. Right now about 40 tankers of the Jeedimetla effluent treatment plant have been fitted with trackers. The system will be extended to about 200 more tankers in Hyderabad. The move was taken apparently to address the complaints about illegal discharge of hazardous wastes from industries in open places, from the residents of Sanathnagar, Jeedimetla, Quthbullapur and surrounding areas.
The effluent treatment tankers collect the waste generated from the industries and unload it at the effluent treatment plant at Jeedimetla. There were instances when these tankers unload it at some open places causing problem to people in the residential areas. ‘’To curb this practice we have introduced GPS tracking system a month ago. As GPS tracking gave good results we want to extend it to all the tankers,’’ said N Raveendhar, senior environmental scientist at the TSPCB. Besides Jeedimetla there is an effluent treatment plant at Patancheru and tankers transporting waste to that plant will also be tracked, he said.
Illegal discharge of hazardous wastes is a perennial problem in the areas surrounding Jeedimetla industrial area and complaints pour in from residents regularly. Lack of fool-proof system to control the illegal discharge of wastes is helping the erring industries.
‘’We want to bring all the industries under online monitoring system to control the discharges of illegal wastes,’’ Ravindhar said.