Gachibowli’s growing debris mountains expose Cyberabad’s urban waste problem
Massive heaps of construction and demolition waste have accumulated for over a decade along the IKEA-AIG Hospital stretch in Gachibowli, raising environmental and safety concerns. Cyberabad Municipal Corporation is exploring solutions, including modern technology, to clear the debris.
Hyderabad: In an otherwise gleaming urbanscape of Hyderabad’s bustling IT corridor, two growing mountains of debris standout like an eyesore.
Accumulated over the years on the IKEA-AIG hospital stretch in Gachibowli, these rising heaps of debris coupled with all sorts of waste being dumped, pose environmental risks for the city and a challenge for the civic body.
The towering grey mountains dwarfing surrounding buildings choke the surrounding air with dust and stand as stark symbols of urban neglect while highlighting safety issues in the area.
Over the years, these piles rose from unchecked dumping of tonnes of construction and demolition debris including pulled down walls, pillars, blocks, stone rubble, bricks, wood, metal, rusted steel, aluminum apart from iron fixtures and waste rexine and clothes.
Despite truckloads of waste getting deposited in clear violation of all civic and pollution norms, the civic administration has over the years appears to have remained oblivious. According to the locals, the dumping has been going on for more than a decade.
Photo: Anand Dharmana
Additional Commissioner, Solid Waste wing in the newly formed Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), Venugopal Reddy told ‘Telangana Today’ that efforts have been initiated to find solution to these C&D mountain. “Last month, we have invited an expression of interest (EOI) from different firms handling the disposal of construction and demolition waste, and seven to eight firms have responded to our proposal.”
It is a challenging task to tackle these debris mountains as they are located in the heart of a busy Cyberabad that houses scores of IT and ITES companises, MNCs and throbs with activity round-the-clock. Officials concede that it is difficult to either transport the C&D waste or have it burnt at the site. A plan has to be drawn to remove these waste massive pile-ups over a period of time, could be extending over several months, and while taking care that dust and pollution-related issues do not crop up.
CMC officials said they were evaluating the issue and considering several aspects, including a study of C&D waste heaps, use of modern technology to dispose tonnes of heaps, cost, and other related issues. “By the first week next month, we will submit a detailed report to the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) for a final decision,” said Venugopal Reddy.