Garbage burning goes unabated on Godavari banks, Bhadrachalam residents face health hazards

Garbage being dumped on the river bank, polluting the river water, despite warnings by the higher officials on several occasions

Kothagudem: Residents of the temple town Bhadrachalam in district have been facing serious health hazards with the burning of garbage on the banks of river Godavari.

Garbage collected from households and commercial establishments in the town has been dumped along the river embankment for the past several years as the town lacked a proper dumping yard until recently. A site was allotted for developing a dumping yard at Manubothula Tank in Bhadrachalam mandal in 2022 and subsequently, a dry resource collection centre (DRCC) was developed to produce vermin compost after segregating dry and wet waste. The residents are complaining that garbage is being dumped on the river bank, polluting the river water, despite warnings by the higher officials on several occasions. In addition to that the garbage is being burnt allegedly by the local gram panchayat workers posing a risk to residents’ health.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, a local businessman, Srinivas Kuricheti informed that every day after 4 pm the workers burn garbage which includes plastic waste. Smoke emanating from the burning garbage engulfs the entire town by 11 pm. “The residents are unable to breathe and are forced to inhale smoke. We cannot use the fans or air conditioners as it only worsens the situation. Several complaints to Bhadrachalam gram panchayat Executive Officer and other higher officials failed to yield any result” he grieved.

Alleged negligence of the local gram panchayat authorities has been proving costly for the residents as many are facing breathing problems. When Executive Officer Ch Srinivas Rao was asked why the garbage was burnt he simply said it was the act of some mischievous persons.

The district Collector and ITDA project officer should look into the issue and see that the burning of garbage stopped forthwith, otherwise suspend the executive officer. Immediate steps should be taken to bring the dumping yard and DRCC into use as they remain unused, Srinivas said.

If the problem is not addressed immediately, the residents of Bhadrachalam town would lodge a complaint to the Pollution Control Board besides knocking on the doors of the court, he warned.

It might be recalled that in March 2024, the gram panchayat refused to maintain cleanliness in the Mada streets of Bhadradri Temple after the temple Executive Officer L Rama Devi made a complaint to the Pollution Control Board about the inconvenience caused to the devotees due to smoke coming from burning of garbage by the workers on the embankment of the river.