Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had directed the Pollution Control Board authorities to take effective measures and waste management strategies to control the growing environmental threats from Chemicals, sewerage and solid waste in the state.

In a review meeting with the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB), the Chief Minister had asked the officials to implement better pollution control measures in the state and directed them to chalk out better waste management strategies to contain growing threat to lakes in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) areas from hazardous chemical pollutants from the industry, Hospitals, untreated sewerage and solid wastes.

It is estimated that 75 to 80 per cent of water pollution by volume is caused by domestic sewage. The major industries causing water pollution in the state include distilleries, sugar, textile, electroplating, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper mills, tanneries, dyes and dye intermediates, petrochemicals, steel plants etc. Non-point sources such as fertilizer and pesticide run-offs in rural areas also cause pollution. Only 60 per cent of chemical fertilizers are utilized in soils and the balance is leached into soil polluting the ground water. Excess phosphate run-off leads to eutrophication in lakes and water bodies.

Currently about 2000 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage is generated in the state every day. However existing facilities can treat only 828.14 MLD of sewage. Even the new sewage treatment plants that are under construction can handle an addition of only 254.5 MLD of sewage which is not enough.

For treating the chemical effluents from the bulk drugs and the pharmaceutical companies, the state government had taken many measures. First Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) of India was commenced in AP at Jeedimetla (Hyderabad) in 1989 to cater to the needs of the small scale industries. AP is the first state in India to commence Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TSDF) at Dundigal. The total quantity of Hazardous waste generation in Andhra Pradesh State is 556,317 TPA of which 211,440 TPA is disposable waste, 313,217 TPA is recyclable waste and 31,659 TPA is incinerable waste. The Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TSDF) at Dundigal, Rangareddy district is effectively managing industrial hazardous waste in the State.

Despite taking all these measures, the lakes in the state especially the Hussainsagar lake at the heart of the Hyderabad city and other lakes surrounding the city are being polluted at a faster pace killing the aquatic life. In a recent surveillance conducted on the Hussainsagar Lake, experts found not a single species of fish in the lake. In view of this, the CM directed the officials to take effective measures to contain pollution and directed them to issue fresh tenders for projects to treat municipal solid wastes and stressed the need to protect the lakes.

Even, the newly evolved e-waste management rules are yet to be implemented in the state. Thought the APPCB is seriously pursuing it, the implementation has been delayed due to lack of interest from the stakeholders in the state.

According to sources, it was emphasized that scientific disposal of municipal solid waste needs to be taken up by local bodies with funding from the 12th Finance Commission and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renovation Mission (JNNURM).