HYDERABAD: After a year-long series of protests by residents of Bachupally, Nizampet and adjoining areas, to force the shifting of the open garbage dump out of Bachupally gram panchayat, the collector has reassigned this land for colleges, schools and low income housing. The noxious fumes from untreated garbage and the open burning of municipal waste were causing serious health problems for residents.

Officials from the Telangana Pollution Control Board visited the dumping site and said that it would be moved to Jawaharnagar. After the visit, the Pollution Control Board served a showcause notice on the three gram panchayats — Bachupally, Pragathinagar and Nizampet – for inaction. All the waste from Nizampet, Bachupally and Pragathinagar is being dumped in the area just behind the Hill County apartments which belongs to the Bachupally panchayat.

Mr Veeresh Kasani, a resident of Bachupally who participated in the protests, said, “Forty acres of land was allotted to Deccan Infrastru-cture and Land Holdings Limited in 2008 for developing integrated townships. In 2014, the state government took back the land. In recent times, that land has been used for dumping without proper permission from government authorities. The gram panchayats have asked for time till March 31 for shifting the dump-yard out of Bachupally village. In the mean time, the collector has proposed the land be used for colleges and the 2BHK housing scheme.”

He added that the gram panchayat is ready to pass a resolution in favour of the collector’s proposals, “so now we are just waiting for the action against the dump-yard and we expect the dump problem will be solved very soon.”