Desilting of drains taken up by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) ahead of the monsoon shows the extent of plastic waste dumped in nalas.
Speaking about desilting work carried out at the Shaikpet nala, P Chinna Reddy, GHMC executive engineer, Jubilee Hills Circle, said, "Around 30% of the silt consisted of plastic." Not just Shaikpet, but most nalas across the city are choked with plastic waste.
BCCL/Representational Image
Around 4,500 metric tonnes of waste is generated every day in the city of which 5% is plastic, said civic officials. "Around 1.40 crore plastic covers are used every week by households in the city," said a GHMC official from the sanitation department.
Dumping of plastic remains a major reason for waterlogged streets and low-lying areas getting inundated. "Plastic obstructs free flow of water. It chokes pipelines resulting in inundation," said a top GHMC official. Road safety experts say plastic chokes manholes and culverts resulting in water-logged streets. Suresh Raju, a road safety expert, said stagnant water damages even the best quality of bitumen. "The water results in potholes, which further inconveniences commuters," he said.
BCCL/Representational Image
Activists say rampant plastic use in the city harms animals as they tend to ingest waste material. "We pulled out plastic cover from a cow's mouth near a lake," said environmentalist Prof K Purushotham Reddy. Activists have demanded stringent action be taken against manufacturers of plastic instead of retail establishments to curb the menace.