HYDERABAD – In a major environmental and public health crisis, a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted to the National Green Tribunal has revealed dangerously high levels of heavy metal contamination at Hyderabad’s Jawaharnagar and Dundigal Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants. The findings have raised serious concerns for the health of local residents and the surrounding environment.
Alarming Levels of Contamination
The CPCB’s analysis of fly ash from the plants showed extreme concentrations of cadmium and chromium. At the Jawaharnagar plant, cadmium levels were recorded at 850.65 mg/kg, a staggering 1,060 times above the permissible limit of 0.8 mg/kg. The situation was even worse at the Dundigal plant, where cadmium reached 956.69 mg/kg, nearly 1,200 times the safe limit. Chromium levels were also found to be dangerously high at both facilities.
Instead of being disposed of in secure landfills or repurposed as mandated, the toxic ash was found to be openly dumped at the Jawaharnagar dumpsite, directly exposing nearby communities to these lethal pollutants.
Public Health and Environmental Impacts
Residents living near the plants have reported a range of health issues, including:
• Respiratory illnesses and persistent throat infections.
• Kidney disorders and severe skin rashes.
• Groundwater contamination, with tests near the Jawaharnagar facility confirming unsafe levels of pollution and visible discolouration.
Civil society groups have accused the plant operators of misleading the public by claiming the facilities are “zero-waste,” when in reality they are generating highly toxic byproducts. Activists are demanding the immediate suspension of the WTE plants’ operations and an independent investigation into the mismanagement of the fly ash.
Broader Regulatory Failures
The report also highlights systemic failures in waste management in Telangana. The state’s fly ash utilization rate has consistently lagged behind other regions, falling to just 19.1% in 2024-25, far below the national mandate for 100% use. Critics also point to the recent reclassification of WTE incinerators from the highly polluting “Red” to the less polluting “Blue” category as a move that downplays the significant risks these plants pose to public health and the environment.
Experts warn that if the state continues to neglect proper toxic ash disposal and utilization, it faces a worsening environmental and health crisis.