Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao demanded that the state govt to withdraw its decision to establish a dump yard at Siddapur. He alleged that land which had been identified by the previous BRS govt for setting up an IT park was now being allotted for a dump yard. He said the Congress govt issued GO No. 641 last week to establish a dump yard on 86 acres in Siddapur village of Kothur mandal in Rangareddy district.Residents of nearly 20 villages surrounding Siddapur met Harish on Monday and explained how the proposed dump yard would adversely affect their lives and livelihood. They urged him to fight on their behalf against the govt’s decision.“Planning to establish a dump yard amid green agricultural lands and close to residential habitations is wrong. The people of all 20 villages are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. In particular, they cultivating vegetables that supply Hyderabad city. Farmers of this area depend for agriculture on the water from Gutta Cheruvu, which is adjacent to the proposed dump yard site, for irrigation. If a dump yard is now set up beside that cheruvu, the water will become polluted, posing a serious threat not only to irrigation but also to drinking water,” the farmers said.Harish said that during the previous BRS govt, there was a proposal to build an IT Park on 334 acres in survey numbers 252, 278, and 361 in the same area, where the dump yard is now proposed. The BRS had resolved that if an IT Park came up here, employment opportunities would be available to local youth. “It is regrettable that the Congress govt is now trying to establish a dump yard on land that was earmarked for creating employment, thereby jeopardising livelihoods of local people, he said.
