The Deccan Chronicle 17.08.2010
Vacant plots become open loosHyderabad, Aug. 16: Local people are using vacant plots in the midst of residential colonies as garbage dumps and public toilets, posing serious health hazards to nearby residents.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation does not clear garbage from vacant plots as they are owned by private parties. As such, the GHMC does not even have data on the number of vacant plots in the city.
Doctors, environmentalists, representatives of resident welfare associations and urban development experts have urged the GHMC to come out with a stringent policy on clearing waste from private vacant plots.
They want owners of vacant plots to be slapped with hefty penalties for not keeping them clean. Expenses incurred in removing the garbage and debris from the site should also be recovered from them.
“Cases should be booked against municipal authorities also for not protecting the health of citizens,” said the eminent environmentalist, Mr K. Purushotham Reddy. He added that GHMC was violating the Solid Waste Management Rules and Guidelines of 2000 laid down by the union environment ministry.
“Garbage becomes a breeding ground for rodents, which are carriers of life-threatening diseases,” he said. “It is the job of the local body to get in touch with resident welfare associations and neighbourhood committees to ensure that garbage is not dumped in vacant plots.”
Dr B. Bhaskara Rao of Raaga Clinic added that flies and mosquitoes also bred in slushy garbage and spread diseases such as gastroenteritis
Mr V.B.J. Rao Chelikani, chairman of the Greater Hyderabad United Resident Welfare Associations Federation, said that owners of vacant plots should leave someone in charge of their site even if they are staying abroad. “Resident and colony welfare associations should also volunteer in keeping the vacant plots clean,” he said.
The Telugu Desam corporator, Mr Singireddy Srinivas, said dumping of garbage in vacant plots was rampant in surrounding municipalities.
“Whenever local residents lodge a complaint, officials from the municipality come and lift the garbage,” he said. “But then they don't reappear for weeks and garbage piles up again, spreading diseases.”
The GHMC additional commissioner (health and sanitation), Mr S.K. Aleem Basha, said garbage was cleared from private vacant plots only when a special drive was taken up or when
there were complaints. We are also finding it difficult to collect vacant land tax as the address of plot owner is often not available,” he said.
Mr Basha said that because of the public outcry, the GHMC had decided to set up a control room to deal with complaints relating to dumping of garbage in vacant plots.
