Hyd's IT corridor getting reduced to a dumping yard!

Hans India

3 days ago

Hyderabad: Dumping of construction and demolition waste has become a major menace in the city's IT corridor. What was supposedly one of the city's ultra-modern and well-planned areas – the Gachibowli and Hitech City stretch is rapidly turning into an eyesore. The haphazard dumping of waste is not only putting people's lives in peril but also ruining the city's landscape.
Although, the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules 2016 has come up with regulations as regards collection, transportation, storage, processing and management of C&D waste, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is yet to tackle the C&D waste menace to the required levels. When construction debris is left uncovered in open areas, it creates a lot of dust and raises pollution levels. People living in the surrounding localities, especially children, elders and those with asthma problems are prone to breathlessness. There are several such eyesores in between skyscrapers, including at Gachibowli, Mindspace, Raidurg and Hitech City; areas that are frequented not only by employees and locals but also by investors eyeing to put their money in projects here.
While taking a stroll along the stretch, one can find a massive mound of debris comprising broken bricks, tiles, crushed stones, discarded furniture, plastic, iron and even commodes.
The situation is particularly disgusting opposite Deloitte towers in Gachibowli. A massive hill of such wastes at the open space makes a sham of the high-profile image of the area. It is made worse by ragpickers, trying to find some reusable or sellable items from the debris. The other day, a couple of waste-laden heavy vehicles were seen reloading the vehicle in broad daylight, oblivious of the adverse impact on those moving around in the vicinity.
The owner of a nearby tea stall said that on average a dozen trucks dump construction waste there. This is not confined to construction debris, but everything that is deemed wasteful.
'The area has become a dumping yard, including for garbage,' said another outlet owner.
It is ditto near IKEA, where a hill of waste can be seen from a distance. Private truck operators dump waste in unauthorised locations, including on private and disputed lands.
Meghna Sharma, a software employee, said 'We expect a much better governance in a prominent IT hub like Hyderabad. But we only notice waste of every kind being discarded close to premier office areas. This damages the city's image, as thousands of nonlocals travel to the IT corridor every day for work.'
Meanwhile, the locals and workers engaged in the construction projects, fume at the worsening air and water pollution levels, which are 'potential illness-causing' threats. They accuse the civic authorities of not taking any action despite several complaints against the dumpsites.
An officer at GHMC Serilingampally zone said that they had received a couple of complaints and clarified that there was strict monitoring.
'We have identified unauthorised dumping sites and strict action will be taken against the violators. Efforts are being made to clear the open spaces and streamline the disposal of construction waste,' the official said.