Hyderabad: Not just traffic snarls and severe waterlogging issues, the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) is also battling another massive challenge – mountains of construction debris scattered across its jurisdiction.The most prominent among these is the sprawling debris dump near IKEA in the heart of Hyderabad’s IT hub. What makes it more surprising for the state’s richest civic body is that the site has existed for nearly a decade.If that’s not all, CMC identified eight other dumping sites across Cyberabad, collectively holding nearly 30 lakh tonnes of construction and demolition waste. Key locations include areas behind Yashoda Hospital and near Sindhu Hospital in Hitec City, besides smaller dump sites in Gachibowli, Nanakramguda and Kokapet, where rapid real estate development has fuelled the problem.“The dumping of debris near IKEA continued unchecked since March 2016 before being halted following the formation of the CMC in February this year. When I visited the site after taking charge, I found trucks continuing to unload construction waste despite restrictions. As per our estimates, two major dumping locations situated between IKEA and a private IT company alone account for nearly 15 lakh tonnes of debris,” said G Srijana, commissioner, CMC.Over the past few months, the corporation has explored multiple options to clear the waste. Experts suggested processing the debris, transporting it to alternative locations and converting it into products such as tiles and bricks. However, officials found most proposals either financially unviable, operationally challenging or difficult to implement without causing environmental disturbances.With no workable solution in sight, the civic body has now decided to invite Expressions of Interest (EOI) from private agencies for the scientific management of construction debris across Cyberabad. The proposed exercise seeks detailed plans on waste processing, recycling, disposal methods, timelines, technologies and budget estimates.“When we approached the mining department, they estimated that processing the debris would cost around ₹20 crore, while some agencies quoted even higher figures. We want a permanent solution and are seeking agencies that can provide scientific methods, strict timelines and financial models,” a senior official from the CMC’s health and sanitation wing said.Meanwhile, CMC says it also seeks information on whether the debris can be processed on-site without generating dust and what technologies can be deployed. The corporation is prepared to explore all options to eliminate the major dump sites near IKEA and Hitec City, officials added.Long-standing land disputeIt all started after a long-standing land dispute involving govt and private stakeholders in the area near IKEA, which allegedly turned the vacant prime land into an ideal dumping ground for builders and developers seeking to dispose of construction waste while carrying out their works. Since then, this unchecked dumping of construction waste is posing a significant environmental challenge. During windy conditions, particularly in the monsoon season, fine dust particles from the debris are dispersed into surrounding areas, deteriorating air quality and posing respiratory health risks.
