Pollution from pharmaceutical industries is widespread and chronic in various parts of Telangana, especially Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Choutuppal, Polepalli, and other areas. Every day, several villagers are deeply affected due to hazardous effluents, toxic air and waste. Even after more than 30 years of peaceful struggle in Patancheru area, sustainable preventive steps have not been taken by the State Pollution Control Board. Pharma units set up in the last 10 years are also polluting precious natural villages.
Representations from people are ignored. Due to pollution, people are falling ill and are losing their livelihoods. Besides, they are spending huge amounts of money on personal preventive measures, medicines and hospitalisation. Because these industries have power bores, they are sucking precious groundwater, resulting in borewells of residents and farmers drying up. Poverty is on the rise in villages where these pharma units have come up. Displacement and unemployment have become rampant.
Coloured water has become a recurring phenomenon because of the rampant groundwater pollution by rogue pharma industries. Villagers and livestock are falling prey to unknown diseases and ailments. Effluent tankers are dumping their contents at any place far from the pharma unit. Hazardous waste is being dumped on the roadside without any qualms or fear. In the Saroornagar area of Hyderabad, groundwater is still coloured and contaminated. Leave alone drinking, this water is unfit for any other purpose.In the name ‘Zero Discharge’, pharma units are polluting local groundwater and the environment. Instead of closing the units or regulating them, protesting citizens were charged with false cases.
On the other hand, Telangana government, neglecting its duty to prevent pollution, is offering incentives to ‘red’ category industries. Industries are focusing only on profits, instead of reducing pollution, reusing resources and protecting the environment. Pharma units are least bothered about the impact of their operations on people and environment. Officials and elected public representatives are not acting in public interest. Public money is being invested in projects that are destroying people and the environment. Food production is lost. Since local youths are not employed in these companies and employment potential getting affected by pollution, rural families are migrating. Women, old, the infirm and children, who are left behind are facing the brunt of the pollution.
Telangana is attracting red category industries disproportionate to its natural resources. Telangana and Hyderabad for decades have been facing pollution from these industries. Despite this, the Telangana government is going ahead with a major pharma project with impunity and without following proper procedures. The government has now proposed a Hyderabad Pharma city — a cluster of more than 1,500 water-guzzling, red category pharmaceutical industries, one adjacent to the other. The initial extent area was a mere 3,000 acres but was raised to 19,000 acres subsequently.
It is a disaster in making and is designed for real estate benefits. Locals have been opposing this pharma city project because of its potential to destroy local natural resources, including agricultural lands, groundwater reserves, vegetation, tanks, lakes and other water resources. This area is known for paddy, fresh vegetables, flowers and fruits.
Telangana government is hard-selling the Hyderabad Pharma city by claiming zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology, which is a euphemism for effluent pumping into injection wells, rogue dumping by effluent tankers and secret pipelines. Precious forest and agricultural land is being acquired by tweaking laws and hoodwinking local populace. Officials are resorting to even blackmail to acquire lands. Public hearing process has been scuttled successfully, even as public opposition to the project is growing.
Public opinion is against establishment of Hyderabad Pharma city. Instead of shifting polluting pharma units, Telangana government should close them. The government has failed to provide an economic, administrative, environmental and ecological justification for the Hyderabad Pharma City.
— Dr Narasimha Reddy Donthi,Public Policy Reviewer