HYDERABAD: What issue can be more significant for the residents of the Medchal Assembly constituency than the ever-expanding dumpyard? While many locals voice their concerns over basic needs like housing, hospitals, education, and ration, voters in this rural area, which is closest to the twin cities, show mixed sentiments towards the BRS and Congress.
Established in 1952, the segment is currently being represented by Chamakura Malla Reddy, who is also the Minister of Labour and Employment in Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Cabinet. The upcoming election is expected to be a three-way battle between incumbent MLA Malla Reddy, Thotakura Vajresh Yadav of the Congress, and Yenugu Sudarshan Reddy of the BJP.
Medchal means town of glory but the segment is not so glorious. Jawaharnagar, home to around 100 slums and a GHMC dumpyard spread over 350 acres, is also located here. About 3,500 metric tonnes of waste generated in Hyderabad is disposed of here on a daily basis. This dumpyard is the root cause of a lot of issues in the segment.
“The groundwater here is completely polluted. The total dissolved solids (TDS) level is below 50, not good for human consumption,” says Srikhande Umesh Kumar, a private employee who has been residing in Dammaiguda for the last 20 years.“Even water bought in cans needs to be rechecked whether it is safe to drink. A lot of vehicles, with no proper covers, keep transport garbage through the main roads round-the-clock,” he adds.
The issue of vacant private properties and sanitation in them is another issue that Umesh Kumar highlights. “People throw garbage or chopped trees on these open spaces. The municipality refuses to remove them as they are on private spaces. These places serve as a breeding ground for dengue-causing mosquitoes,” adds Umesh Kumar.
No ration, Aadhaar cards
Elections make no difference for many people like Jahangir Bee, a garbage collector from Shantinagar slum. “While moving around in these slums, the foul smell emanating from the dumpyard is unbearable. We can’t even enjoy allam chai and bread pakoda during breaks,” he says. Even after living in the same area for more than 30 years, a lot of people here do not have proper houses or drinking water.
Most of people do not have ration and Aadhaar cards or even caste certificates, which automatically enable them to avail of schemes, including disability and widow pensions. Ironically, everyone gets their voter cards without any hassles.
“Last year 12 individuals, including 11 children, died after drowning in different lakes,” says a child rights activist. There are a total of seven lakes in the constituency and only three have been fenced till now, the activist adds.
Not enough schools
The lack of enough schools and colleges is another burning issue in the segment, as highlighted by TNIE a number of times in the past. Among the seven mandals in the constituency, Kapara, Ghatkesar, Keesara, Shamirpet, and Dundigal do not have a single government junior college. The lack of any government multispeciality hospital is also an issue. With the non-availability of doctors in primary health centers, people have no other option but to travel 30 km to get treatment at Gandhi Hospital.
People also complain about land-grabbing and fake voters. As the TNIE team moves around the segment, the tone of disappointment continues to be felt on the Shamirpet-Keesara stretch too and the mood of voters in Keesara indicates that they are likely to favour the Congress candidate in the upcoming elections.
Congress candidate Vajresh Yadav hails from the second-largest BC community in Telangana. The last time the constituency elected a BC candidate was in 2004 when T Devender Goud completed a hat-trick of victories. He had managed to end Reddy's dominance in the segment.
In this election, both the BJP and BRS are fielding Reddy leaders and the Congress appears to have strategically picked Vajresh Yadava to garner BC votes. The constituency was also represented by Congress’ Marri Channa Reddy, who also served as the chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 1978. Historically, the segment was a stronghold of the TDP but the voters have shifted their allegiance to Congress in recent years.
Vajresh Yadav, who was once a TDP member, was appointed as the INC Medchal constituency coordinator in 2022. He maintains a robust connection with the local populace.BRS candidate Malla Reddy says: “My primary objective is to develop Medchal into a model constituency in Telangana by ensuring development both in the rural and urban areas of the segment. We will also deliver excellent welfare schemes for our constituents under the able leadership of KCR.”
