Kokapet residents of Vertex Panache demand action against Ramky Infra for pollution & violations
Hyderabad: Residents of Vertex Panache, a residential community in Kokapet, have been enduring persistent noise pollution, air quality violations, and improper wastewater disposal by Ramky Infra Projects for over a year. Despite multiple complaints and legal actions, the issue remains unresolved, prompting the residents to call for stricter measures to be taken against the violators.
S. Lakshmi Narasimha, a resident and Secretary of the Vertex Panache Residents Welfare Association, Kokapet, shared with Hyderabad Mail that 349 complex residents had signed a petition addressed to the police, raising serious concerns about the construction activities at the adjacent Ramky Infra Projects site. According to Narasimha, the ongoing construction work, which includes concrete pumping, continues unabated during nighttime, violating noise and air pollution regulations.
“Ramky Infra Projects is flagrantly violating laws that govern noise pollution, air quality, and AQI standards. The noise levels during nighttime construction are unbearable, especially with concrete pumping, which affects our mental health and well-being, particularly that of children. They have even installed a tin funnel from the top of the building to dump construction rubble, creating loud noise,” said Narasimha.
The residents have pointed out that the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, stipulate that the ambient noise levels during nighttime (between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.) should not exceed 55 decibels in residential areas. They also highlighted that the Environment (Protection) Act, of 1986, mandates measures to control air pollution, including the dispersion of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) at construction sites. The residents allege that Ramky Infra is not adhering to these regulations, causing significant health risks due to poor air quality and excessive noise.
Additionally, the residents have raised concerns over wastewater disposal by the construction site. They claim that water waste is being dumped on public land, causing water stagnation and mosquito breeding. This has led to a surge in dengue and chikungunya cases in the area, with at least eight to nine cases reported in Vertex Panache.
To address these issues, the residents filed a case at the Narsingi Police Station and approached the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB), as well as the Lokayukta. According to Narasimha, the TGPCB responded to the complaint but failed to take effective action. “Although the PCB acknowledged the violations, it has not enforced any corrective measures. We have also reported these incidents to the emergency police number, but the situation remains unresolved,” he added.
In a response from the TGPCB, officials conducted noise monitoring on 3rd August 2023 during the day, which the residents argue was an inadequate representation of the nighttime noise problem. Despite multiple calls to the PCB’s helpline and repeated meetings with Ramky Infra, the complaints about nighttime noise continue. Narasimha criticised the TGPCB for its failure to address the issue properly.
“The noise monitoring conducted on December 14, 2023, after the intervention of the Lokayukta, showed that the cement mixture and pumping machines were not operating then. This further reinforces our suspicion of collusion between Ramky Infra and PCB officials. It’s clear that the builder halts construction during PCB inspections to avoid detection,” Narasimha claimed.
In a more recent development, the PCB issued a notice to the Vertex Homes Pvt. Ltd. and the Vertex Panache Association for operating without Consent for Operation from the PCB, a move that Narasimha views as an attempt to intimidate the residents into dropping their complaints against Ramky Infra.
“This is nothing but a tactic to silence the residents and divert attention from the actual violations. It’s deeply disheartening to see that the very agencies created to protect the environment are siding with the builders and ignoring the suffering of over 349 residents,” Narasimha said.
The residents of Vertex Panache are now calling for urgent intervention from higher authorities to ensure that Ramky Infra complies with environmental regulations and that the ongoing construction activities no longer compromise the residents’ health and safety.
