Capping of Jawahar Nagar dump yard fails to attract investors

Hyderabad: Contrary to belief that the real estate business would pick up after capping at Jawahar Nagar, people were still reluctant to invest leaving the layouts as they were.

Capping is a process where the high piles of dump yard surface is levelled, then it is covered with impermeable layers of geomembranes and soil is laid on the outermost surface for plantation.

Residents of all the colonies and villages nearby have been complaining about air and water pollution for years. The filth and foul odour emanating from 12 million tonnes of waste has taken a toll on the health of the people living around the dump yard.

Another reason for buyers shying away from purchasing land was the groundwater pollution due to leachate contamination.

Although GHMC along with Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd has capped most of the dump yard portion, however the odour continues to spread across the neighbouring areas.

Villages of Dammuguda, Makaram, Ahmedguda, Thimmapalli, Gabbilapet and Yadagrapalli and colonies in the surrounding area - MLR Colony, Rajiv Gruha Colony, YSR Colony, including church colonies of Faith, Glorious, JSRFM and NISSI – present around the dumping yard were affected.

Yedurappa Goud, real estate agent of YSR Nagar, said, “Plots were mapped around last decade but there is barely any progress in real estate business here. The neighbouring areas of dump yard are severely affected and the cost of land remains between Rs 2,800- 3,200 per sq yard.

While in the colonies in Yapral the cost is around Rs 3,000 to 5,000 per sq yard.” A resident of the NISSI church colony Raghavender Kumar said, Stench is worst during the monsoon and overflowing drainage contaminates the water bodies near the area.