HYDERABAD: The people of Khanapur and the surrounding villages of Rangareddy district are up in arms against the allocation of over 42 acre of land to set up a dump yard for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Villagers said that the State government has unilaterally taken the decision which would affect thousands of people without even taking permission for it in a Grama Sabha.
They fear that the proposed landfill would contaminate groundwater and affect their farms, the same way the Jawahar Nagar dump yard of the GHMC has affected areas in its vicinity. Citizens plan to launch protests if the government goes ahead with its plan.
The land allocated to the GHMC dumping yard is very close to two tribal hamlets — Karkas Tanda and Gaddagutta Tanda, which are located less than 150 metre from the proposed site, said Khanapur Sarpanch Bojja Srinivas Reddy. If the GHMC starts dumping garbage here, then there will be no option left but to displace the tribal hamlets, he said.
“It is some 65 km away from Hyderabad. There are over 30 mandals between Hyderabad and here, why does the government want to turn our village into garbage,” he questioned. He said that the government issued an order handing over 42.22 acres of land to GHMC. Tribals have pattas for nearly 18 acres on this land and have been cultivating the same for several years. “Our only demand is to cancel the proposal,” Srinivas Reddy said.
If the dump yard becomes a reality, 15 villages including Jangareddypalle, Talakondapally, Khanapur, Chukkapur, Rampur, Bikkununtala and Venkatraopet, which are located within a three km radius will be affected, he said.
“Three years ago, the government came up with a similar proposal which was dropped after intense protests. However, the government has revisited the plan to make our lives miserable,” remarked Bakki Kumar, sarpanch of Chandradana village which is close to Khanapur.When contacted, a GHMC official said, “We will go ahead with the dumping yard only after taking scientific measures to mitigate the smell”