Stung by stink, Medchal locals kickstart Ekikarana Padayatra

Hyderabad: With no hope of relocating the Jawahar Nagar dump yard, which has polluted the air and groundwater across various parts of Medchal, numerous cases of water-borne and skin diseases have emerged. Frustrated by these ongoing issues, local residents have launched the Ekikarana Padayatra to voice their concerns and protest the indifference of the officials.

Agitated locals pointed out they have been stuck in the vicious circle of the Jawahar Nagar dumping yard and have been experiencing severe air and groundwater pollution for decades, vexed of submitting representations and staging several dharna’s to concerned officials. But State government has not given any permanent solution to shift the dumpyard. Last year, the State government proposed setting up four additional dump yards across the city and its outskirts, with locations such as Pyarnagar, Khanapur, Dundigal, and Pashamylaram in Medak district being shortlisted. However, since then, no progress has been made. Therefore, this time, we have decided to launch the Ekikarana Padayatra to ensure that our voices are heard by the government. The yatra was launched in the second week of October.

Sandeep, a local, said, "For many years, the residents of Dammaiguda and Jawahar Nagar have faced hardships because of the dump yard. Gradually, the problem has spread, with groundwater pollution now affecting other areas, including Rampally, Nagaram, and more. Despite the National Green Tribunal's order to stop bringing new waste to the Jawaharnagar dumping yard, no action has been taken to relocate it. As a result, the entire groundwater supply is contaminated, leaving locals unable to use it for consumption.”

"To make our voices heard by the concerned officials, we have begun the yatra. During this journey, we plan to meet with local residents and leaders to highlight our demands. These include the immediate purification of leachate water on a war footing. Since the purified water will not be completely clean, the partially treated water should be transported to the Musi River through a pipeline," he added.

"The State government is only giving us false hopes, yet they have failed to relocate the dump yard. Every day, we endure nightmarish conditions, and many locals are suffering from various diseases. It’s high time the concerned officials come up with a permanent solution to provide relief to the residents," said Srinivas, another local resident.