The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) is planning to press in night surveillance teams to crack down on the bulk drug and chemical units violating pollution control norms surrounding the Jeedimetla Industrial areas in the state.

Having received a large number of complaints from residential areas in and around Jeedimetla in Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh pollution control board is planning to crack down on all the pharmaceutical and bulk drug units that are releasing noxious fumes and dumping untreated effluents in and around the Industrial area of Jeedimetla.

According to sources from pollution control board (PCB), the board has been receiving repeated complaints from the residents of Surya Nagar, near Chintal and IDPL colony. In their representations many people have stated that toxic chemical waste being dumped in near by drains at night.

As per the information from the sources, a few complainants have even sighted rise in respiratory problems due to toxic fumes emanating from the nearby chemical factories. In view of this the APPCB is going to do a ground check on the possibility of dumping of the untreated effluents by nearby industrial units in Jeedimetla.

Official sources revealed that the reason for pungent toxic gas fumes can be Sulphur due to irregular scrubbing of incinerator or some units might be dumping hazardous wastes in drains at night.

In fact Andhra Pradesh is first state in the country to have a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) which was started in Jeedimetla (Hyderabad) in 1989 catering to the needs of the small scale industries.

The total quantity of hazardous waste generation in Andhra Pradesh accounts to around 5, 56,317 TPA, of which 2, 11,440 TPA is disposable waste, 3,13,217 TPA is recyclable waste and 31,659 TPA is incinerable waste.

The Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TSDF) at Dindigal, Rangareddy district is effectively managing industrial hazardous waste in the state. Another common hazardous waste incinerator was commissioned in 2006 under phase II of TSDF project at Dundigal in Ranga Reddy district.

The second Hazardous Waste landfill facility as part of Pharma City, Parawada, Visakhapatnam district, was also commissioned in November, 2006. This TSDF has also commenced common hazardous waste incinerator for disposal of the incinerable waste generated from the industries located in North Coastal Districts of AP.

Apart from these Andhra Pradesh also stands first in India to have common bio medical waste treatment facility. There are thirteen common bio-medical waste treatment facilities operating in the State for safe disposal of 13 tonnes of bio-medical waste generated per day. About 90 per cent of the Health Care Establishments (HCEs) have already tied up with the common bio medical waste treatment facilities. Since 2007-2008 around 5710 Health Care Establishments (HCEs) have been issued authorizations by the board.

In spite of taking numerous measures to check the illegal dumping, there are certain drug and chemical units which are violating the pollution control norms. It is believed many smaller units are resorting to violations as they are unable to bear the pollution treatment costs at the common effluents plants.

On the whole the Andhra Pradesh pollution control board officials have taken a serious note of the complaints and planning to press in night surveillance teams to conduct a thorough search and accordingly crack down on the polluting units violating the pollution control norms.