Etela Rajender Demands Action on Jawaharnagar Dump Yard, Seeks Release of Protesters

Malkajgiri MP Etela Rajender on Saturday strongly criticized the police action against leaders of various political parties and Joint Action Committee (JAC) members protesting the Jawaharnagar dump yard issue, alleging that they were detained during late-night operations despite holding peaceful demonstrations.

Rajender visited the affected protesters at the Shamirpet Police Station and demanded their immediate release. He accused the government of suppressing democratic dissent and said residents raising legitimate environmental and public health concerns should not be treated as lawbreakers.

Speaking to the media, the MP said the Jawaharnagar facility, which was originally intended to handle local waste, has now become the primary dumping site for garbage generated across the entire Greater Hyderabad region. According to him, nearly two crore residents are dependent on a waste management system that concentrates an enormous volume of garbage at a single location, creating severe environmental challenges.

He claimed that while around 10,000 metric tonnes of waste arrive at the site every day, only about 3,500 metric tonnes are utilized for power generation. The remaining waste, he said, continues to accumulate, worsening pollution and creating health risks for surrounding communities.

Rajender alleged that residents of areas such as Balajinagar, Jawaharnagar, Dammaiguda, Keesara, Nagaram and Ghatkesar have been facing contaminated water sources and persistent foul odours due to the growing garbage burden. He said the situation has become increasingly difficult for local families living near the dump yard.

The BJP leader also targeted Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, recalling that Revanth had earlier raised the issue through legal channels while serving as a Member of Parliament. Rajender questioned why no lasting solution had been implemented despite the passage of more than two years under the current administration.

He further alleged that both the previous and present governments had failed to respect the democratic right to protest. Warning that arrests and criminal cases would not silence public movements, Rajender urged the state government to develop a long-term waste management strategy, including decentralizing garbage disposal facilities across different parts of the city and adopting measures aimed at achieving zero pollution .