Hyderabad WTE plants face toxic fly ash, monitoring lapses
HYDERABAD: Civil society groups, environmental activists and residents affected by the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant at Jawaharnagar have accused operator Resustainability Ltd (formerly Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd) of serious violations in fly ash disposal and pollution monitoring.
In a rejoinder to the company’s recent statement refuting concerns, the groups cited findings from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and independent studies to allege hazardous operations and regulatory lapses.
Hazardous fly ash levels
The CPCB report dated August 18, 2025 (page 182), recorded cadmium concentrations of 865.65 mg/kg in Jawaharnagar and 956.69 mg/kg in Dundigal fly ash. The statutory limit for cadmium in raw materials fed into cement kilns is 1 mg/kg. These figures also exceed World Health Organization soil quality guidelines by more than 1,000 times (WHO permissible limit: 0.8 mg/kg).
Unsafe disposal practices
While the company insists that fly ash is disposed of in secure, engineered landfills, the CPCB report of August 18, 2025, contradicts this, stating that the waste is being dumped at the Jawaharnagar dumpsite. A subsequent CPCB report dated April 15, 2025 (page 50), confirms that both bottom ash and fly ash from the Hyderabad WTE plant are sent to landfills.
Poor regulatory oversight
The CPCB submission to the National Green Tribunal notes that the Hyderabad WTE plant has been monitored only twice in five years—on January 30, 2025, and March 23, 2025—despite being classified as a “Red Category” industry, which requires inspections at least once in six months.
The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) also admitted to faulty laboratory equipment, relying on third-party labs for testing. This raised questions about the credibility of results, particularly dioxin and furan emissions, which were recorded as “0.0000 ng TEQ/Nm3,” a result environmentalists called “highly suspicious.”
Community impact
A joint fact-finding mission in May 2025 reported leachate overflows into residential areas and contamination of groundwater and soil in Jawaharnagar. Activists said this posed a severe public health crisis for marginalised communities living near the facility.
Wider concerns
The activists criticised the ongoing attempt to downgrade WTE incinerators from “Red Category” to “Blue Category” industries. With a pollution index of 97.6—the highest among Blue Category industries—WTEs emit dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, they said, and cannot be branded as “essential environmental services.”
Demands raised
The groups demanded immediate suspension of operations at Hyderabad and Dundigal plants until safe handling and disposal are assured. They sought show-cause notices to operators, environmental compensation, and prosecution under law.
They also called for two independent expert committees—one to inspect plant operations and another to assess health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities. Additionally, they urged the government to develop a roadmap to shift from incineration to decentralised waste management.
“The Jawaharnagar experience must serve as a wake-up call for Telangana and national regulators,” the groups said. “Incineration cannot be promoted as clean energy at the cost of public health.”
They urged the Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, TSPCB, CPCB, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to enforce compliance and transition to community-led alternatives.
