How residents of Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad's garbage dump, are living with health woes

Spread across an area of 351 acres, the dumping yard receives an estimated 8,500-12,000 tonnes of municipal waste daily. In January this year, according to a press release issued by the Telangana government, chief minister Revanth Reddy had directed concerned officials to set up four dump yards at four corners of Hyderabad, away from residential areas, to dispose of municipal waste. But months later, Jawahar Nagar, situated at a distance of 31 km from Hyderabad, continues to drown under the city’s waste burden.

The price is paid not by residents of Jawahar Nagar alone, but those living in nearby Rajiv Gandhi Karmik Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, Malkaram, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Gabbilal Peta, Cheeryal, Haridas Palli, Ahmad Guda, Timmaiyapalli, Dammayiguda, Nagaram and Rampalli. Anil Kumar Sattupalli, a software engineer in his 30s, claims to have been unaware of the problem when he bought a house in Dammayiguda in 2021. “I have been living with this foul smell day and night since. My health has suffered,” he said. The issue has made it difficult for him to sell off the property, as no buyer wants to buy a house in the neighbourhood, he added. “I demand that the government stop bringing so much garbage to this dumping yard”.

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The problem goes beyond the stench of the garbage, or even the flies and mosquitoes hovering over the waste and flying into nearby residences, carrying myriad germs from the dump. Residents complain of health issues caused by leachate pollution from the dump, toxic water seeping into the area’s waterbodies and contaminating of groundwater and pollution from the smoke caused by dry waste being burned to generate electricity.

According to reports, in a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) highlighted the high content of toxic cadmium and chromium in fly ash from the Jawahar Nagar waste to electricity (WTE) plant — at 865.65 mg/kg, the cadmium level was found to be over 1,000 times more than the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 0.8 mg/kg for soil, the report purportedly stated.

The NGT, on its part, had reportedly issued fresh directives to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) earlier this year to construct additional leachate wells to contain contaminated discharge from the Jawahar Nagar garbage dump, expressing concern over potential water contamination. While issuing the order, the NGT had reportedly observed, “if the leachate is allowed to spread from the area without being treated scientifically, even if the lands are reclaimed later, it cannot be put to appropriate use, besides polluting the downstream water bodies”. The Jawahar Nagar dumping ground has allegedly turned many lakes in the vicinity into pollution pits. Leachate from the garbage is said to have contaminated the waters of Malkaram Lake, Haridas Palli Lake, Cheeryal Lake, Rampalli Lake, Dammayiguda Lake, Vasin Lake, Chennapuram Lake, Indira Lake in Ambedkar Nagar, and several small forest-area ponds, turning the water a disturbing black.

Those living in the vicinity of the dumping yard allege they are already bearing adverse signs of the pollution.

Boya Gangapuri, a daily wage labourer living in Dammayiguda, held up his hands and legs for The Federal to see when asked about the impact of the dumping ground on his life. “Because of the pollution from the landfill, I have developed sores on my hands and legs over the past six years. I’ve shown my medical reports, but there is no help. Who will treat my illness caused by this garbage pollution?” he questioned, alleging that because of his health condition, he has also been finding it difficult to work.

The same complaints of skin diseases, stomach ailments, respiratory diseases and headaches caused by pollution from the dumping yard are repeated by others in the area.

Bachchu Sujatha built her house in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in 2017. And alleges she and her family have been living with the foul smell and contaminated water ever since. “I suffer from severe headaches and cracked feet. Because of the stench, we can’t sleep at night, and even walking in the water causes a burning sensation. Our health is deteriorating. We can’t even sell our house — nobody wants to buy it,” she claimed.

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A 2021 affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone, by the Central Pollution Control Board, available on the internet, had highlighted that leachate from the dumping ground was polluting a local pond and other waterbodies and lakes in the area.

Doctors in the area back residents’ claims of health issues caused by the dumping yard.

“The air and water pollution from the Jawahar Nagar dumping yard is seriously affecting the health of people in the surrounding areas,” said Dr. S. Ramamohan Rao, specialist doctor, at the Aashritha Hospital, Mallapur, Hyderabad. He added: “Many people are coming to hospitals with respiratory problems caused by the foul smell. Some are visiting dermatologists due to cracked feet and ulcers caused by leachate water. Bathing in borewell water in this area is also leading to skin infections.” The doctor also cautioned about residents being exposed to the risk of cancer from the pollution caused by burning garbage and plastic waste in boilers to generate electricity.

GHMC pays Rs 1,453 per tonne to a private company, Re Sustainability (earlier named Ramky), for handling the waste. Food and slaughterhouse waste is sold, industrial and hospital waste is processed in plants and dry refuse-derived fuel (RDF) waste is used to generate electricity in a plant there which bears the name Hyderabad Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Plant.

“At night, the power plant emits black smoke and loud noises — it smells like burning flesh. We’ve complained several times but no one responds,” alleged Keshoju Bhagyalakshmi, a resident of Karmik Nagar. “The stench from the dumping yard is causing headaches,” she added.

Residents' associations claim they have also repeatedly raised the issue, but to no avail.

“Contaminated water flows along the streets and causes blisters on people’s legs. Despite our complaints, the Ramky company doesn’t care. The generator runs all day and night, keeping us from sleeping. Because of the stinking sewage ponds, we’re developing lung problems, and X-rays show the damage. People have built houses here but are now leaving because of the unbearable smell,” alleged Bandari Narsimhulu, president of the Rajiv Gandhi Karmik Nagar colony.

Added Pakalapati Srilesh Sandeep, president of the Navodaya Welfare Society, Karmik Nagar: “We’ve been fighting this issue for six years. We’ve filed a case in the NGT and lodged complaints with the Telangana Pollution Control Board, but no action has been taken. The pollution from the dump yard has made it impossible to live here. Both air and water are contaminated. The lives of local residents have become unbearable. We will continue our struggle until the problem is resolved.”

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When The Federal contacted the Telangana Pollution Control Board, Undavalli Prasanna Kumar, senior scientist and social scientist, “Jawahar Nagar is an officially designated dumping yard. According to Municipal Solid Waste Rules, waste must be segregated properly and processed to produce compost and power. Whenever violations occur, the Pollution Control Board issues notices to the contracting agency Ramky and to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Whenever we receive complaints or find violations, we issue directions and advisories to ensure compliance.”

GHMC commission, RV Karnan, is no stranger to the issues concerning the landfill, but shifted the blame on Ramky. “We have issued a notice to Ramky, the contracting agency, for violating waste management norms in Hyderabad. We’ve warned that the contract will be cancelled if proper waste handling is not ensured. Even after previous notices, Ramky has failed to take corrective measures.”

The Federal could not contact Re Sustainibility (Ramky) for comment.

Activists push for waste to be processed locally in each ward of Hyderabad.

“Dumping the city’s garbage in Jawahar Nagar and putting the lives of residents there at risk is inhuman and unethical. Garbage must be segregated at the household level into wet and dry waste. I’ve been fighting this issue [of centralised waste management] for years,” said environmental and social activist Lubna Sarwath.

As civil societies, green agencies, pollution control boards and local authorities continue the battle over the Jawahar Nagar garbage dump, residents daily inch closer to lingering health woes that they may never completely recover from. Perhaps the most pitiable condition is of the children in the area, breathing the foul air, using the contaminated water, not knowing the risks they are being subjected to for life, unaware of the unfairness of the condition that they may even have come to regard as normal.