Telangana villagers fight against Bidar municipal dump yard close to their village

Villagers of Malgi in Telangana blocked waste vehicles from Karnataka’s Bidar Municipal Corporation, alleging pollution and health hazards caused by waste transportation and dumping near their village. Residents complained about foul smell, smoke, stray dogs and contaminated water affecting agriculture and daily life

Sangareddy: The dumping of waste by the municipal corporation of Bidar sparked a row between Karnataka officials and the villagers of Malgi in Telangana. Since the Bidar municipal vehicles were carrying waste through Malgi village in Telangana, the villagers blocked the vehicles from passing through their village.

As the waste was being strewn everywhere and water was oozing out of the vehicles, the villagers staged a protest by blocking the road. According to villagers, the Bidar Municipal Corporation had established a dump yard close to Sultanpur, a Karnataka village on the Telangana border, a few years ago. Earlier, the vehicles used to pass through Sultanpur while carrying waste to the dump yard.

---

However, Sultanpur villagers had protested against the inconvenience being caused to them and blocked the vehicles a few years ago, following which the civic officials found an alternative route through Malgi village in Telangana. Since Malgi villagers also started facing a similar issue, they stopped the vehicles a week ago when Bidar Mayor Mohammed Gouse, the Municipal Commissioner and police officials visited Malgi and tried to convince them.

When the villagers refused to budge, the officials allegedly threatened them with serious consequences. However, the villagers refused to withdraw their protest and continued to block the vehicles. The Bidar civic officials said waste was piling up in the town since the villagers blocked the route over a week ago.

Speaking to Telangana Today, J Anil, a villager from Malgi, said it would take six kilometres more for municipal vehicles to travel through the Sultanpur route instead of the Malgi route. However, he said the Bidar municipal officials were still using the Malgi route as they were unable to convince their own villagers.

He further said the indiscriminate burning of waste was causing several health issues among villagers as smoke was enveloping the area.

Anil lamented that the number of stray dogs, mosquitoes and flies had increased considerably during the past few years. Since the dump yard is located close to the village, farmers were unable to work in the agricultural fields for long hours.

Whenever it rains, villagers said waste water from the dump yard flows into agricultural fields and eventually reaches the Manjeera River.