Even after having their own homes, they feel homeless. For past three years, nearly 1,000 families belonging to Tadi Colony, Peda Tadi and China Tadi are on the warpath.
With fresh oxygen becoming rare and alarming rise in the respiratory, skin, kidney and other problems due to pollution allegedly caused by Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City (JNPC) at Parawada, villagers have hit the road to press for their relocation.
The district administration conducted a survey and identified 70 acres in Peda Mushidivada for their rehabilitation in 2009. At that time, construction of a housing colony for their pollution-affected was estimated at a cost of Rs.63 crore.
“We are expecting a fast decision on the relocation of the pollution-hit people,” APIIC Executive Director S. Satyanarayana told The Hindu .
The shifting issue is delayed inordinately with Ramky, which developed JNPC, refusing to foot the bill. The APIIC too is disinclined to fund the expenses.
The villagers are seething with the anger. The last week’s explosions and fire at a bulk drug unit in the Pharma City forced some of the villagers to attempt to gate-crash into the Collectorate to insist on early solution to their problem.
“Life has become very difficult for us. Officials and politicians do visit our area with an emphatic promise to shift us as soon as possible. We don’t know when that will materialise. Already an old woman died last month due to contaminated water. We don’t how many more will have to die,” wonders B. Govinda Rao, member of Tadi Grama Taralimpu Badithula Samkhema Sangham.
After the fire and series of blasts at Auctus Pharma Ltd (this unit was one among five shutdown by AP Pollution Control Board in July for causing air pollution), the villagers are literally having sleepless nights.
“We don’t know how long we have to live breathing poisonous gases,” says former TDP minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy. District Collector V. Seshadri after a visit to Pharma City told the agitated villagers that he would initiate action soon for their rehabilitation.
Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce Dasari Srinivasulu convened a meeting to discuss the issue in Hyderabad on October 29. “We hope without further delay, a decision will be finalised for relocating the pollution-hit villagers,” said CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narsinga Rao.
