STOP HYDERABAD PHARMA CITY - SAVE TELANGANA.

I am putting up this post, so that people who wish to support us may join us in this fight. We don't want defeatist sentiments. Lets stop feeling sad about whats happening around us. Let us do something if we can. If we can't then at least support silently. Please bring in the positive energy within you.

STOP HYDERABAD PHARMA CITY - SAVE TELANGANA.
In the pristine and bio diversity rich zone of Yacharam, Kadthal and Kandukur Mandals of Ranga Reddy district, 12 villages that are surrounding three big reserve forests, are being taken away to set up a monstrous project called the Hyderabad Pharma City. About 1000 Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Bulk Drug Companies are to be set up here including some research Labs. The State Chief Minister KCR and his son, the industries minister KTR have been saying this will be a Green Pharma City, with Zero Liquid Discharge. But then our experience in Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Chautuppal, Polepally SEZ in Telangana, and  the  Vizag Pharma City, have shown the truth to be otherwise. The existing companies too were asked to maintain Zero Liquid Discharge in their units, but the truth is something else. Grave violations happen dayin and day out with heavy chemical pollution being dumped into the Hyderabad City Drainage and reaching the Musi River, which has wrecked havoc for hundreds of villages in the downstream area. Yet the state govt. insists its going to be different here. How they will do that one doesn't know. Already after obtaining the environmental clearances where they promised to use only Gas based boilers and have individual effluent treatment plants for each unit, they went back to the MoEF asking for concessions, saying they would like to use Coal based Boilers instead of Gas, and have a Common Effluent Treatment plant instead of the individual treatment plants. Now this CETP will be the same as it is in Jeedimetla or Patancheru, where a toxic soup of chemicals is brought to the CETP from different industries and there some preliminary treatment is done and this toxic mix is let out into the sewerage system of Hyderabad.
The people of the Ranga Reddy District at first had no idea what the Pharma City was about. They were told it is a CIty, with real estate development, railway lines and university to be set up etc. 90% of these villagers are living on their land either growing crops, or raising cattle, sheep, goats and poultry and some do toddy tapping. The land less is involved in supporting work like agricultural labour, tractor drivers, motor mechanics,potters, carpenters,  masons, auto drivers, etc. The region is rich in its diversity and has many chain linked water bodies and lakes that sustain this region. The surrounding forests have multitude of wildlife and even endangered species like the Leopard and the yellow throated bulbul. So, when the govt. came to take their lands, they didn't know what they were getting into. At first, the govt. said they will only take the assigned lands. And some of the people even refused to part with the assigned lands. Then they were threatened, saying since the govt. has given them that land, govt. had the right to take it back when ever it wants for "Public Purpose". So, people could not oppose. They were not told that they had a right to oppose and proper legal proceduce must be done as per law before the land could be taken back. However, they had no such idea and the govt. officials didn't bother to tell them.
When the assigned lands were being taken, the farmers asked if their patta (private) lands will be taken. The local MLA Manchi Reddy Kishan Reddy promised the people that their patta lands will not be taken. But a year later in 2017, suddenly the people found that their patta lands were notified for acquisition. And then began the struggle. And in September 2017, when the Environmental Public Hearing for Hyderabad Pharma City was proposed, then through some social activists the people got to know the truth about what Pharma City means - that there will be Chemical and Drug companies in hundreds coming up surrounding them. So on 11th October 2017, the people of Medipally, Nanaknagar, Tadiparthy, and Kurmidde went to the EPH location, only to find that the entire place  was barricaded like a jail, and all the seats were filled up with people from far off places, brought in by the ruling party, "to garner support" for the HPC. The local people opposed the presence of outsiders only to find themselves inside the police vans, arrested and detained and kept away from attending the Environmental Public Hearing. Of those 33 who were allowed to speak, except for myself and three other scientists and one congress leader, everyone else - mostly political people and people from the industry said setting up the HPC is a great thing and will be boon for the region. The next day the local vilalgers complained to the JC saying they were not allowed to speak. And then later this was followed by multiple representations to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to the then Secretary CK Misra, the minister Harsha Vardhan and to the Environmental appraisal Committee members and Chairman, saying the local people do not approve of the project and demanded that fresh public hearings be conducted in all the villages to seek public opinion. They asked the EAC to come and see the region and see their crops, their tanks and their forests. In March 2018, a Sub committee did come from the EAC to the area. But they simply came in a helicopter and went over the area and went back. Where they landed, the people tried to meet them, but the local villagers were not allowed to meet the Sub Committee members - using a wall of Police force. And after multiple representations, presenting a complete bio diversity report as well, the Central Govt. gave the Environmental Clearance to the Pharma CIty project. Only one silver lining was that the state govt. has given an undertaking that it will take the land only with Consent of the land owners. The farmers of these villages are trying their best to save their lands. But the state govt. is using all the tricks of the trade, like using veiled threats, divide and rule etc...
This land and these forests are not just a source for the people of these villages. Its imperative that we protect these biodiverse regions for the benefit of the world and the humanity. In a time when we are losing forests across the globe and facing Global Heating...and climate change its up to all of us to protect these pristing regions. A  region that grows multiple crops and vegetables for the dwellers of Hyderabad and the surrounding areas, and most importantly producing the most rare product of our times - Oxygen. SAVE TELANGANA - STOP PHARMA CITY.

Saradvati kavula