Hyderabad: Malkajgiri BJP MP Etala Rajender demanded the relocation of the Jawahar Nagar dump yard, citing methane emissions, air pollution and health risks to nearby residents.
He urged the Telangana government to move the waste disposal facility away from residential areas and introduce modern waste-management technologies. Rajender also announced a series of public meetings and protests to press for a permanent solution to the pollution problem.
He scheduled a meeting with affected residents for October 23, followed by a roundtable discussion with environmentalists and intellectuals on October 25. Additionally, he announced a padayatra against the dump yard beginning October 27.
Jawahar Nagar dump yard raises health concerns
Rajender alleged that the waste facility had exceeded its original capacity and posed serious environmental risks to surrounding communities. According to the MP, authorities initially designed the dump yard to handle waste generated by a population of two lakh.
However, he claimed that the facility was receiving waste generated by approximately 1.6 crore people. He further alleged that groundwater within a 25-km radius had become toxic because of pollution associated with the dumping site.
Residents living within 30 km of the facility were also suffering from lung and skin ailments, he claimed. Rajender raised concerns about methane emissions and toxic air affecting people living around the waste disposal site.
MP cites methane emissions report
The BJP MP referred to a report attributed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. He claimed that the report ranked the Jawahar Nagar dump yard fourth among 25 major methane-emitting sites across 18 countries.
Rajender cited the findings while demanding urgent government intervention to address environmental and public health concerns. He also called for the adoption of advanced waste-management technologies to reduce pollution and improve waste disposal practices.
The MP urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to intervene and ensure a permanent solution to the problems associated with the facility. Meanwhile, Rajender outlined plans to involve affected residents, environmental experts and intellectuals in discussions before launching the padayatra.