The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has decided to use the services of Environmental Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) in tackling the contentious issue of hazardous material to be dredged out of Hussainsagar lake.
As part of the lake cleaning project taken up with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the HMDA will dredge the lake and shift sediments to the tune of 12 lakh tonne from close to the mouth of four nalas that join the water body.
It has been decided to shift the dredged material from three inlet points of Balkapur nala, Banjara nala and Picket nala to Jawaharnagar dump site.
However, the dredging and shifting of sediments from the confluence point of Kukatpally nala ran into issues after studies showed high presence of hazardous material here. A scrutiny of samples collected from this inlet threw up cadmium presence higher than permissible limits, attributed to the fact that inflows here were from the industrial areas.
The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) raised objections on material dredged from here being dumped at Jawaharnagar site in view of the hazardous toxic metallic element presence.
The Authority would initially start the work on three inlets and take up the Kukatpally nala related work once the necessary modalities were worked out. The HMDA officials said that the necessary procedures would be put in place to verify the cadmium content and based on that, dumping site aspects attended to.
The help of EPTRI in the matter was being sought and possibilities being explored include developing a waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) site by the HMDA for the purpose. “We will take their guidance in this purpose and the work taken up under the advice of the PCB,” an official said.
