The Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Monday appeared in front of the Telangana High Court to explain the steps taken by the civic body to control the stench emanating from Hyderabad's main dumpyard at Jawaharnagar.
The court also decided to personally monitor the cleaning of the dumpyard.
The court had issued the summons while hearing petitions from locals in the areas of Yapral, Sainikpuri and Kapra, who said that the stench from the dumpyard had become unbearable.
GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar appeared before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy, and explained how the solid municipal waste was processed. He also said that the GHMC sought to produce electricity from the methane gas, which was a byproduct while processing the garbage.
He said that the dumpyard was covered with huge polythene sheets to reduce the stench. The GHMC Commissioner also said that two garbage treatment plants were being constructed, for the same purpose.
After hearing the bureaucrat's oral answers, the court directed him to file a detailed counter by February 15.
The locals who live around the dumpyard say that the air, groundwater and soil have been polluted. Pointing out that the damage has already been done, they are unanimous in their demands -- the first one being that all dumping should come to a stop.
After a hearing earlier this month, the court had also issued notices to the District Collectors of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medak, to file a counter affidavit on the action taken to control the stench of garbage in and around Jawaharnagar.
At the time, the court also asked for an update on the GHMC's plan of identifying three alternative locations where the dumpyard could be shifted.
While the government had identified three alternate spots at Pyaranagar, Lakdaram and Papireddyguda, the proposal has been stuck in limbo, as the GHMC has not put forth an effective solution for garbage disposal.