Justice K. Lakshman of Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State government not to go ahead with the ‘Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Processing Unit’ in Sangareddy until further orders.
The judge, however, permitted the Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development and the GHMC Commissioner to conduct survey of the land for the project and for laying a road in the area. The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by Swarnalath, a resident of Bollineni Homes in Mahdapur, seeking a direction to stall all further works relating to the project. He directed the State government to file a counter affidavit in the matter.
The petitioner contended that the State government had not secured the mandatory environmental clearance and other related permissions to establish the project there. The petitioner’s counsel Kailash Nath told the bench that Pyaranagar where the project construction was proposed fell within 15 km distance of Dundigal Air Base. No Environmental Impact Assessment study was done before deciding to construct the Solid Waste Processing unit there.
The decision was taken in violation of environmental rules. Similar contention was earlier raised by the Indian Air Force Academy authorities, he said. Setting up a dumping yard would pollute the air in the area and contaminate ground water as well, generating threat of serious health hazards to the people living in the vicinity and harming the adjacent reserve forest.
Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy said there was no need to secure permissions from authorities as no land digging work or land filling work was undertaken as part of the project. The soul purpose of the project was to segregate different types of waste and generate power and bio-gas.
The matter was adjourned for two weeks.
Published – February 12, 2025 10:05 pm IST
