Hyderabad: The increase in garbage burning and illegal dumping in the city is alarming. Residents are voicing their concerns about open burning in various localities, especially with rising temperatures leading to significant fire hazards.
Despite the risks and recent fire incidents, the practice persists. With the rising heat, the threat of major fires looms larger, prompting residents to call on the GHMC’s sanitation department to take action. They urge for regular garbage collection instead of allowing it to pile up.
Although burning garbage is against the law and carries hefty fines, both citizens and sanitation workers continue to flout these regulations without fear.
Residents and activists alleged that instead of picking up the garbage, the sanitation workers are burning it, resulting in immense pollution. “In recent times, the city has witnessed back to back massive fire accidents. And both residents and GHMC workers with their lackadaisical attitude lit the fire in waste,” said Shivashankar, a resident of Ameerpet.
In many incidents, the Fire department was urgently called to extinguish flames. Venkateshwarlu, a Saidabad resident, expressed concern over the irregular collection of waste by Swachh auto tippers, leading to significant garbage accumulation on the streets. With rising complaints about mosquitoes, the overwhelmed sanitation staff resort to burning the trash.
Similarly, Shahid Ali from Chaderghat reported that on Thursday evening, a sanitation worker ignited a fire in the garbage beneath the Chaderghat flyover, which quickly escalated. “We promptly notified the Fire Department to prevent a major disaster, and they arrived swiftly to bring the situation under control,” he added.
Despite the Telangana State government’s ban on garbage burning implemented in 2017, areas such as Nagole, Uppal, Yousufguda, Balanagar, Amberpet, Kukatpally, Malakpet, Chaderghat, Santosh Nagar, Yakutpura, Kondapur, Miyapur, Manikonda, Gachibowli, and many others across the city continue to witness this harmful practice without any noticeable improvement.
Mohammed Ahmed, a social activist, emphasised that in Telangana, burning waste is considered a serious offence that can result in a hefty fine of up to Rs 25,000. Unfortunately, due to the irregular collection of garbage by municipal vehicles, the corporation’s own employees have resorted to burning the waste. Additionally, he highlighted the alarming practice of openly burning trees that were recently felled by officials throughout the city.
Moreover, on social media platforms, when the netizens raised the issue on X, posting about the burning of garbage, there was no response from them. “However, on repeated complaints, the concerned GHMC officer responded with a reply that ‘the fire has been doused’,” one Siddiq posted on X.
