Etala Rajender Backs Jawahar Nagar Agitation, Demands Permanent Dump Yard Shift

Malkajgiri MP Etala Rajender on Wednesday threw his weight behind the ongoing agitation against the Jawahar Nagar dump yard , vowing to lead the movement until the decades-old waste disposal issue is resolved permanently. Declaring that he would stand with the affected residents "as one among them," the BJP leader said the struggle would continue until the government delivers a lasting solution to the environmental and public health crisis.

Rajender made the assurance after meeting all-party leaders, Joint Action Committee (JAC) members and local residents at his camp office in Shamirpet . Residents narrated the hardships they have endured for nearly 20 years , alleging that thousands of families continue to live amid towering garbage heaps, unbearable stench and severe environmental pollution. They appealed to the MP to spearhead the campaign beyond political affiliations and thanked him for extending support during their recent protest after several demonstrators were detained by the police.

The Jawahar Nagar dump yard , which receives nearly 8,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day from across Greater Hyderabad , has long been one of the city's biggest environmental concerns. Residents have repeatedly complained of air pollution, groundwater contamination, methane emissions and increasing respiratory illnesses. Although the Telangana government has proposed expanding scientific waste management facilities to reduce dependence on the site, local communities continue to demand the complete relocation of the dump yard.

Responding to the residents' appeal, Etala Rajender reminded Chief Minister Revanth Reddy that he had opposed the dump yard while serving as the Malkajgiri MP and had even approached the Supreme Court over the issue. He urged the Chief Minister to honour the assurances made to the people and act without further delay now that he is in a position to resolve the problem.

The MP alleged that successive governments and officials had failed to fulfil their commitments, leaving economically weaker families who migrated from rural Telangana to bear the consequences of prolonged environmental degradation. Referring to earlier proposals, including a waste-to-energy project , he said repeated promises had not translated into meaningful action.

Rajender also criticised the detention of protest leaders, asserting that arrests would not suppress public resentment or solve the crisis. Recalling that he had faced more than 200 criminal cases during various people's movements, he said such actions would not deter him from supporting the residents.