Every day, dump trucks and septic tankers from Hyderabad offload the city’s refuse at the GHMC dumping yard, creating what residents of Jawahar Nagar describe as a “hill of trash” that looms over their community. Despite years of protests, legal battles, and empty political promises, residents continue to face severe health issues and a worsening quality of life.
Published Mar 11, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 11, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Synopsis: Jawahar Nagar, a town near Hyderabad, is suffering from a severe environmental and humanitarian crisis due to unchecked urban expansion, as the city’s waste is dumped in their community, causing major health issues and declining living conditions. Despite years of protests and legal struggles, residents face polluted air, contaminated water, and intimidation from authorities, while political inaction leaves them without relief.
Modern societies focused on consumption and economic expansion relentlessly chase economic growth and development, often presenting them as the ultimate solutions to societal challenges.
However, when growth becomes an end in itself – pursued without foresight, sustainability, or inclusivity – it inevitably leaves devastating consequences. As history has repeatedly shown, those who bear the brunt of this excess are the ones with the least social and economic capital.
Garbage dumped outside the dumping yard
Jawahar Nagar, a modest town of 15,000 people just 25 kilometres from Hyderabad, is an example of how unchecked urban expansion can turn into an environmental and humanitarian crisis.
Every day, dump trucks and septic tankers from Hyderabad offload the city’s refuse at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) dumping yard, creating what locals describe as a “hill of trash” that looms over their community. Over decades, this landfill has morphed into a symbol of neglect, injustice, and governmental indifference.
Despite years of protests, legal battles, and empty political promises, residents continue to face severe health issues and a worsening quality of life amidst political inaction, intimidation, and legal harassment.
“We have been staying here for the last 30 years when it was still a forest. All of us came from different communities across Telangana for a livelihood in Hyderabad,” said Muhammad Javeed, a long-time resident.
Initially, the area only collected local waste, but by the 2000s, the landfill started expanding. Alarmed by the increasing waste, locals began to protest – but their struggle was overshadowed by the Telangana movement, which shifted political priorities elsewhere.
“They assured us that we would have no more issues once Telangana was formed,” Javeed recalled. “But there’s been no change yet.” Instead, matters worsened with the addition of a power plant, bringing constant noise pollution to an already embattled community.
Yet, despite the challenges, Javeed remains defiant. “The reason we are still able to fight and exist here is because of the right to vote we got thanks to Babasaheb [Dr BR Ambedkar]. If not, they would have banished us from here,” he remarked.
For residents, the landfill is not just an eyesore but a life-threatening presence. Polluted air, contaminated water, and chronic health issues have become part of everyday life.
“The lakes around here have water darker than our hair,” said Sayeeda Begum, another resident. “Almost everyone here suffers from some kind of skin infection because our water supply is also contaminated. From newborns to the elderly, no one is spared.”
Two decades on, Jawahar Nagar is still fighting for dignity
Respiratory problems and migraines are also common. “I’ve had to take migraine tablets for the past few years because of the stench,” said Savitri, another local. “The fumes make it hard to breathe sometimes.”
Monsoons bring a new set of challenges. Mosquito infestations surge, making life unbearable. “The moment it gets dark, you won’t see many people outside,” Savitri added. “Everyone shuts their doors and windows, but the mosquitoes still get in.”
Meanwhile, medical facilities remain scarce, compounding the crisis. “The closest hospital is about five kilometres away, and even then, it doesn’t have medicines,” said Fathima, another resident. “Even if our children are sick, all we can do is give them paracetamol because we’re helpless.”
For years, residents have fought back, demanding their right to clean air, water, and dignified living conditions. But their protests have been met with legal persecution and police intimidation.
Sharada, a resident, has six pending cases against her, dating back to 2016. She has been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal trespassing and “intentional insult intending to provoke a breach of peace.”
“Every other month, I have to pay a lawyer and travel to the local court, only for the case to be adjourned again and again,” she sighed.
Sheik Shavali, another resident, reported having nine cases against him.
“All we did was ask for justice, and yet we were persecuted,” he lamented. “I was termed a rowdy sheeter. A senior citizen was placed under house arrest whenever they suspected we were organising. We were made to roam around the courts instead of receiving justice.”
The crackdown intensified after 2014, when the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) took note of our protests. Since then, they have actively sought to weaken resistance by using police cases as a weapon of fear.
Despite the severity of the crisis, political leaders have largely ignored Jawahar Nagar. The region’s governance is fragmented, leading to deadlock and inaction.
“Our MLA is from the BRS, MP from the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party], and the state government is Congress,” Javeed pointed out. “The result? No work is getting done.”
Many feel that political leaders only visit during elections, offering empty promises before disappearing again. Meanwhile, the media largely ignores their plight, leading to a lack of public awareness and accountability.
The people of Jawahar Nagar
Meanwhile, the Jawahar Nagar Hakkula Parirakshana Poratam Samiti, an organisation formed to advocate for residents, has been largely inactive due to legal and financial constraints.
“Organising a protest, no matter the scale, requires resources,” said Sheik Shavali. “Most of our prominent members have cases against them, money is tight, and new issues are emerging in this region.”
One of those emerging issues is communal division.
“The youth are being driven towards fanaticism,” Shavali warned. “The RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] and its affiliates are taking advantage of the Hindus, while the Muslims are turning towards the AIMIM [All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen]. They’re treading down the wrong paths, distracting themselves from real issues.”
Whenever outsiders visit Jawahar Nagar, they are shocked by the conditions.
“Anybody who comes here – government officials or visitors – asks us the same thing: how do we live in this area?” Shavali said. “They cover their noses and behave as though we are the problem.”
“What do we tell them?” he continued. “That we are not choosing these conditions? That we have nowhere else to go? That the hill of trash grew so much that our demands fell on deaf ears?”
Despite the suffocating conditions, residents refuse to give up.
“We need to sit down for a protest again,” Sharada said. “We were waiting until a year passes so the government stabilises, but it is high time.”
For Jawahar Nagar, the fight is far from over. They are not merely demanding relocation or compensation – they are demanding basic human dignity.
But as long as Hyderabad continues to grow unchecked, producing more waste than it can handle, and as long as political apathy reigns, the residents’ cries for justice may remain buried – just like the garbage that surrounds them.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
