A whopping 18,000 metric tonnes of garbage was collected in Hyderabad from various flood-affected areas in the city as water had inundated several colonies for days before finally starting to recede this week. A special sanitation drive was conducted by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to clear flood-related garbage, which started on October 18.
According to a report in The Hindu, GHMC commissioner D S Lokesh Kumar released statistics about the garbage that was collected and said that the highest amount was from Charminar zone, which was one of the worst-affected areas. The report added that from the Charminar zone, about 9,539 metric tonnes of garbage was removed, followed by 2,379 metric tonnes from LB Nagar zone. From the Khairatabad zone, the garbage removed amounted to 2,353 metric tonnes. The figure for Serilingampally, which hosts the city’s Information Technology (IT) sector, was 1,266 metric tonnes. The GHMC Commissioner also said that 1,433 and 988 metric tonnes of garbage were collected from Kukatpally and Secunderabad zones respectively, taking the total amount across the city to 17,958 metric tonnes.
According to a Deccan Chronicle report, the collected garbage consisted of mattresses, furniture, household items and several other items, which have become useless for people after getting soaked in floodwaters. The garbage was collected from about 14,581 localities from various flood-affected areas from all the six zones.
The recent rains in Hyderabad had created havoc in the city and several low-lying areas were inundated. Lake bunds being breached made the situation worse for residents. Several people have lost their valuables in the rains, ranging from vehicles to household items.
The Telangana government has announced Rs10,000 as immediate assistance for people whose houses were affected due to floods. It was also announced that in the future, Rs 1 lakh compensation would be given if the houses were completely damaged and Rs 50,000 for partial damage due to the floods.