Construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Telangana near HarinaVanasthali National Park has been slow. The plant was meant to address the pollution caused by chemical effluents from the Auto Nagar industrial area. These effluents have been damaging the trees and groundwater in the park. The STP’s construction began last November, but only a small portion of chemical water has been cleared so far. Residents are complaining that respiratory problems are increasing, and the slow construction is affecting their lives.
Residents in the area have requested that the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) builds an STP with a capacity of 50 Kilo Litres Per Day (KLD) and diverts the pipeline to a canal. They also want an effluent treatment plant to purify the chemicals. Despite repeated requests to the Pollution Control Board and TSIIC, there has been no progress on these demands.
Sunith, a resident of Auto Nagar, says that as the work progresses slowly, the park and the residents are suffering. The air, soil, and groundwater have become polluted. A senior officer at TSIIC denied the allegations, stating that the project was progressing on a fast track and would be completed by next month. However, residents remain skeptical and frustrated by the slow pace of the project.
