Govt ignores NGT orders on dumping at Jawaharnagar

Chennai bench of NGT on October 28, 2025 issued directions not to dump fresh waste

metro india news  I hyderabad : Despite clear directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against dumping fresh garbage at the Jawaharnagar dumping yard, the Telangana government and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have failed to implement the orders. Municipal corporations continue to transport waste to the site, drawing sharp criticism from residents' Joint Action Committees (JACs) and environmental activists fighting for the closure of the dumping yard.

Residents allege that even after approaching the tribunal and securing orders, their concerns have been ignored by the authorities.

Legal battle

Shankara Narayana Balakrishna and others, representing the Dammaiguda JAC, filed a petition before the NGT's Southern Zone bench in Chennai, seeking closure of the Jawaharnagar dumping yard and an immediate halt to fresh garbage being transported there. The State Chief Secretary and GHMC were among the respondents.

The petition was heard on October 28, 2025, by a bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana (Judicial Member) and Dr Prashant Gargava (Expert Member). After hearing the arguments, the tribunal issued clear directions against fresh dumping.

Clear directions

The NGT specifically directed GHMC not to dump any fresh garbage at the Jawaharnagar dumping yard. GHMC's counsel informed the tribunal that an IIT Bombay study had already been undertaken, following the tribunal's directions, to find a permanent solution to the waste problem and that its report was awaited. The counsel sought a short adjournment.

Accepting the request, the tribunal postponed the matter to November 10, 2025, for final arguments. However, it explicitly prohibited the transportation and dumping of fresh garbage as well as Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) at the site. It permitted only the processing of waste already accumulated there, provided the necessary facilities were available.

No implementation despite orders

Nearly a year after the tribunal's directions, neither GHMC nor the State government has taken effective steps to implement them. GHMC, along with the recently established Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), continues to transport waste generated within their respective jurisdictions to Jawaharnagar.

Around 10,000 tonnes of garbage are reportedly transported to the dumping yard every day and piled up at the site. Bulldozers and excavators level the incoming waste, creating fresh garbage mounds alongside the existing heaps.

Despite the NGT's explicit prohibition on fresh dumping, the practice continues unabated. Residents and environmental activists have termed the authorities' failure to comply with the tribunal's directions unfortunate.

'Whom should we approach if court orders are ignored?' asks Maram Sammireddy, Co-convenor, Dammaiguda JAC:

"The NGT in Chennai issued clear directions nearly a year ago, prohibiting fresh garbage dumping at Jawaharnagar. Neither GHMC nor the State government has implemented these orders. Even today, garbage from across the city continues to be transported and dumped here, with fresh heaps being created alongside the old ones.

"The government is not listening to our grievances or addressing our problems. We approached the court and fought a legal battle to secure relief, but even its orders are being ignored. If court directions themselves are not implemented, whom should we approach? How can we get justice? How do we stop this continuous dumping? When will the suffering of residents come to an end?" rues Sammireddy