With leachate from Hyderabad's main dumping yard in Jawaharnagar allegedly resulting in the death of several lakh fishes in three lakes downstream, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has finally stepped in.

As part of a pilot project, the GHMC on Wednesday installed an insuit mobile unit to treat 2,000 kl per day for a month, which will try to stop leachate seeping into the ground, by using reverse osmosis.

Reports pegged the existing leachate in the Jawaharnagar site at 6.50 lakh kl, of which 2,000 kl of leachate would be treated per day. In total, e 60,000 kl will be treated over the month, with 75% recovery of disposable water.  

"We have had sought permission from the PCB to stabilise the unit. The samples were tested by the PCB. All key parameters were found within the permissible limit as per the solid waste management rules, 2016," an official from the health and sanitation department of the GHMC told DC.

Last month, at least four lakh fish washed ashore from the 600-acre Edulabad lake, also known as the Lakshminarayana Cheruvu, at the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Speaking to TNM, Batte Shankar, the Edulabad sarpanch, had alleged that it was pollution from Hyderabad's main dumpyard at Jawahar Nagar which caused the death of the fish.

"There is a large amount of leachate that flows out of Jawahar Nagar, and it has polluted three lakes in the process, as it flows through Dammaiguda, Rampally, Ghatkesar, before it reaches Edulabad," Shankar had said.

"The water was clean until a few months ago and could be used to take a bath. However, because of all the liquid discharged into it, the water has become dark and black in colour," he added.

Following the incident, E Balaiah, District Fisheries Officer told reporters, “Heavy rains lashing the city a few days ago, resulted in most of the polluted water flowing through Erimalle canal from Jawahar Nagar dumping yard."