Autonagar Chemical Smell: A Tragedy of Dying Trees, Ailing Deers, Vanishing Birds, Ground Water Pollution, and Respiratory Risks for Residents Amidst Authority’s Shameful Neglect
Author: Venkat Ankam, Co-Founder of Dha3R NGO
Introduction:
Ever come across man-made lakes? Now, imagine a different tale—a man-made chemical lake that has silently emerged at the core of Mahavir Harina Vansthali National Park, Hyderabad. This poignant creation stands as a testament to the negligence of the higher authorities of TSIIC, a heartbreaking reflection of their disregard for nature.
Within the bounds of this artificial chemical lake, the echoes of dying trees, the silent struggles of ailing deers, and the fading melodies of vanishing birds tell a heart-wrenching story. These creatures, once thriving in harmony with nature, now find themselves as voiceless victims in the shadows of this chemical-laden water, bearing witness to the consequences of human neglect.
The Mansoorabad area in Hyderabad has long been grappling with a critical issue that not only poses an immediate threat to the environment but also jeopardizes the health and well-being of lakhs of residents. An illegal sewage pipeline laid by TSIIC & IALA (Telangana state industrial corporation ltd & Industrial Area Local Authority) has led to the release of harmful industrial effluents mixed with sewage and chemicals into the Harina Vanasthali National Park. The ramifications of this negligent act have spanned across a significant >15 square kilometers, causing widespread pollution and a hazardous chemical smell that plagues the surrounding areas. Residents are relocating to different areas to save themselves and while remaining residents are dying a slow death. Below Times of India article tells the story.
Background:
People may deceive, but satellite images bear witness to the unspoken truth. Examining the satellite imagery, the landscape appeared undisturbed until December 2015. However, the tranquility was disrupted in December 2016 when the Autonagar industrial area initiated the release of sewage into the neighboring forest. Notably, in October 2017, the road connecting the industrial area and the forest lacked a culvert. Astonishingly, by January 2018, a culvert was installed, and by December 2018, a blacktop road adorned the path. Ostensibly, the culvert’s purpose was to channel rainwater into the forest.
The situation remained seemingly favorable until May 2020, but by October 2020, the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) altered its course. They began diverting all industrial sewage, now laced with chemicals, causing significant drainage overflow on roads and
TSIIC’s open land. In March 2022, the TSIIC took a more drastic step, laying an illegal 1-meter diameter sewage line and channeling water through the existing culvert.
Fast forward to March 2022, and the culvert initially designed for rainwater has contributed to the creation of a man-made chemical lake sprawling over 15 square kilometers and steadily expanding. The overflow of chemical-laden water, not captured in the presented image, is heading towards Kuntloor, leaving destruction in its wake.
Community Concerns and Responses:
Representatives from various residential colonies, such as Judges Colony, Vijayasree Colony, Chitraseema Colony, Subhodaya Colony, Sahara States, South End Park, Himapuri Colony, Sailajapuri Colony, Sriram Nagar Colony, Cosmopolitan Colony, and other areas in Mansoorabad, united to form a WhatsApp Group. They began appealing to the local corporator and MLA, suspecting that chemical-filled tankers were being released in the area during the night. The source of these chemicals remained elusive to everyone. An article addressing this issue was published in The Times of India in October 2022 based on this suspect.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/sewage-chemical-waste-raise-stink-in-auto-nagar/articleshow/94773626.cms
The Dha3R NGO was skeptical about the notion that a few tankers could be responsible for the creation of such an extensive man-made chemical lake, with the accompanying smell spreading over kilometers. Venkat Ankam and Manoj Vidiyala, co-founders of Dha3R NGO, took it upon themselves to visit the site multiple times, inspecting every drainage manhole and engaging in discussions with locals. Our investigative approach eventually led to the discovery of an illegal pipeline laid beneath the bushes. Despite our efforts to inform both authorities and locals, our revelations were met with disbelief. To substantiate our findings, we captured drone shots to illustrate the magnitude of the problem. Dha3R NGO published a post of twitter in Nov 2022.
#AutoNagar #Hyderabad #Pollution #CantBreathe #AQI@HMWSSBOnline @MDHMWSSB@pargaien @TSFDCL @TSIICLtd @CommissionrGHMC @KTRTRS @D_SudheerReddy @KoppulaBJP @CPCB_OFFICIAL @TelanganaPCB@TSMAUDOnline @TOIHyderabad @NewIndianXpress @THHyderabad @DeccanChronicle
1/2 pic.twitter.com/7h5ZfDcbkQ
— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) November 8, 2022
This has caused significant chaos and raised extensive awareness about the issue among both locals and authorities. However, no concrete action was taken by the authorities until Mr. Sudhakar Udumula, Investigative editor of The Times of India, published an article in December 2022 and shared it on Twitter as well.
https://twitter.com/sudhakarudumula/status/1598144293075488771
This sent shockwaves through the entire government, prompting multiple officials from the Chief Minister’s office to visit the location. On December 3rd, a peaceful protest held by Dha3R NGO along with locals and colleges nearby.
🚫 STOP AUTONAGAR CHEMICAL POLLUTION 🚫
A peaceful protest by @Dha3r_Ngo. @sudhakarudumula @TSIICLtd@TSFDCL @TelanganaPCB@MDHMWSSB @KTRTRS @MinisterKTR@TelanganaCMO #SaveVanasthali
Our demands:
1) No plants here
2) Treat water and send to Musi
3) ETP instead of STP pic.twitter.com/GrNmdolwLg— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) December 3, 2022
The PCB conducted two tests by extracting samples from diluted water and declared the absence of any issues, distancing themselves from the matter. In contrast, Dha3R conducted a test by directly sampling from the sewage exit point. The resulting report vividly portrays the poor quality of the chemical-laden water.
Test Report of effluents released from Autonagar into Harina Vanasthali forest. #Hazardous #pollution@sudhakarudumula @TSIICLtd@TSFDCL @CentralIfs @TelanganaPCB @CPCB_OFFICIAL@MDHMWSSB @KTRTRS @TelanganaCMO #SaveVanasthali #SaveDeers #Hyderabad https://t.co/XuQdjDhQP1
— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) December 16, 2022
Through protests and the creation of widespread awareness, there has been a noticeable response from the government. On December 18th, representatives from all colonies and founders of Dha3R NGO convened a meeting with members of PCB, TSIIC, and GHMC, Forest Department alongside MLA Sudheer Reddy garu. TSIIC had no clue what kind of companies are there at Autonagar. GHMC false claim was smell is due to leachant from dump yard, but not from auto nagar. PCB false test report showed no chemicals. But, we proved all points were incorrect with proofs. Autonagar area has different automobile, fertilizers, pesticides, pharmaceutical, and battery units and they simply dump everything into the sewage line.
It was great meeting with @TelanganaPCB @TSIICLtd, GHMC officials, @D_SudheerReddy, and colony representatives to discuss AutoNagar Chemical smell issue. #SaveVanasthali #CantBreathe#Hyderabad #Pollution #SaveLives #SaveDeers
Key points discussed/resolved: pic.twitter.com/X2Rt48nnmd— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) December 18, 2022
The outcome of the meeting was GHMC and PCB sent a notice to TSIIC to construct a sewage treatment plant within next three months, i.e. by March 2023.
TSIIC started erecting the STP and finished it by August 2023.
https://twitter.com/Dha3r_Ngo/status/1696391620558741900?s=20
We thought that the issue is resolved and we did not focus much on this issue. But, we recently realised that the chemical water still going into the forest.
https://x.com/Dha3r_Ngo/status/1715233333951734134?s=20
And testing going on forever as on Dec 2023 and officials said it will take another three to four months?
https://x.com/Dha3r_Ngo/status/1738545901113856217?s=20
On January 7th, Santhana Selvan, the Bicycling Mayor of Hyderabad and an advocate for nature, visited this location, shedding light on the issues of officials neglect, delays of STP, and ongoing destruction to the forest, deers, birds, humans and overall environment.
https://x.com/sselvan/status/1744277943592145263?s=20
https://x.com/sselvan/status/1744644136505053437?s=20
https://x.com/Dha3r_Ngo/status/1743988682493997335?s=20
On January 28th, a massive protest was held at Mansoorabad by Dha3r NGO. From young children to senior citizens, environmentalists, and nature enthusiasts have joined forces, responding to Dha3R’s call. Notable environmental NGOs such as Hyderabad Cycling Revolution, Visva Sustainable Foundation, Dhruvansh Foundation, Techieride, VWOLFS Foundation, Animal Warriors Conservation Society, Environmentalists, and local colony associations have joined this critical mission, showcasing their dedication to the cause.
Eenadu coverage:
https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-news/districts/Hyderabad/529/124026568
🩸#Protest to stop GREEN MURDER. Need to lay pipeline urgent@TelanganaPCB@TSIICLtd@GHMCOnline@CommissionrGHMC@DRonaldRose@sselvan@D_SudheerReddy@pargaien@sudhakarudumula@TSFDCL @ENYImpacts @madhulikaS2 @hydtechieride @awcs_org @vwolfs_org#SaveVanasthali #CantBreathe pic.twitter.com/49kRGzc8ZY
— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) January 28, 2024
After the protest, forest and TSIIC officials reacted and tried to close the effluents going into the forest and routed 100% effluents to the STP. As STP can process only 100 KLD per day, rest of the effluents (more than 50%) are now getting overflown from STP and routed back to the forest. It’s man-made disaster, not designing the STP scientifically while showing no mercy towards environment.
On Feb 14th 2024, we have given representation to Forest officials and principal secretary for Environment, Forest, Science and Technology.
Met @moefcc officials & Smt Vani Prasad IAS, Principal Secretary. @pargaien garu will show next steps in 1 week.@TelanganaPCB @TSIICLtd @GHMCOnline @CommissionrGHMC @DRonaldRose@sselvan @D_SudheerReddy @sudhakarudumula@TSFDCL @revanth_anumula#SaveVanasthali #CantBreathe pic.twitter.com/mhcmp6Ikj8
— Dha3R NGO (@Dha3r_Ngo) February 14, 2024
The Road Ahead:
The Mansoorabad area urgently requires intervention to safeguard lives, preserve trees, protect deer, ensure the well-being of birds, and uphold the overall environment. While our inclination does not lean towards orchestrating protests, the gravity of the situation compels us to take such action.
We have only one demand and want achieve it at the earliest.
1) Stop diversion of chemical water into the forest by laying a pipeline from dumpyard to sahara.
We are now in the process of filing a case in NGT.