Poor air quality irks residents

RESIDENTS HAVE been complaining about the industrial emissions in city from quite sometime.

Residents of Symphony Park Homes at Beeramguda have complained to the Pollution Control Board about dark smoke and bad odour in the air after a large stock of rubber tyres caught fire in a factory in the locality on last Thursday .

This comes at a time when residential colonies in Hyderabad have been complaining for some time against industrial emissions and stench emanating from factories operating close to the city.

Symphony Homes resident Rakesh S. said, “The fire broke out at 2 am on Thursday and was not doused off till evening. This occurs quit frequently which we keep bringing to the notice of the authorities. We have reported of burning of rubber waste earlier also.”

Another resident, Mr Gaddam Rakesh Reddy, tweeted to minister K.T. Rama Rao, saying, “Our neighbourhood has become hell and we are unable to breathe because of polluting industries, fire accidents and tyre burning. We are fighting for clean air (sic).”

The comment was retweeted by many. Some said officials must step in fast to avoid Hyderabad air pollution levels to become as bad as Delhi.

He tweeted back that he would ask the PCB to react swiftly and told his office to coordinate with pollution board in the matter. TSPCB officials said that they has not received complaints about the burning of rubber waste but would still look into the matter.