Residents raise stink over mounds of garbage in colonies

Hyderabad: Residents across Hyderabad’s tri city are grappling with a worsening garbage crisis, as uncollected waste piles up in several neighbourhoods, raising serious health and sanitation concerns.

Heaps of garbage lining roads and residential colonies have become a common sight, with residents complaining of foul stench, mosquito infestation and increasing health issues.

From upscale localities such as Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Filmnagar to densely populated colonies and slum pockets, poor waste management appears widespread. Areas including Gudimalkapur, Toli Chowki, Yusufguda, Sultan Bazaar, Kothi, Abids, Ameerpet, S.R. Nagar, Erragadda, Moosapet, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Jeedimetla, Jiyaguda, Kukatpally and Padmarao Nagar are reportedly facing irregular garbage clearance.

Residents allege that in some places, waste has remained unattended for several days. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has repeatedly pledged to make the city garbage free.

However, citizens say the ground reality paints a different picture.

With nearly 5,000 colonies under its jurisdiction, the fleet of “clean autos” assigned for door-to-door waste collection is said to be insufficient. Officials estimate that nearly 25 per cent of these vehicles are off the roads due to maintenance issues. Irregular collection has forced some residents to dump waste along roadsides, further compounding the problem.

Citizens allege that inadequate field monitoring by sanitation officials has worsened the situation and are urging authorities to deploy more vehicles and enforce stricter supervision.

Concerns have also intensified over the Jawahar Nagar dumping yard, where around 9,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily across the city is transported. Residents living within a 10 kilometre radius complain of unbearable odour and allege that leachate from garbage heaps has contaminated groundwater, making it unsafe for consumption. Prolonged exposure to the stench and pollution has reportedly led to respiratory ailments among locals.

Additionally, the removal of identified Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) has drawn criticism. Though authorities claim to have eliminated 2,541 such points, residents argue that the absence of alternative arrangements has resulted in indiscriminate dumping, particularly at night.

With the recent formation of GHMC, Greater Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Greater Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation under new administrative leadership, citizens hope for renewed focus on sanitation. Whether these measures will finally achieve the long promised garbage free city remains uncertain.