The campaign to end metal pollution in the Hussain Sagar will pick up momentum  with the decision to relocate the electroplating units located in Jedimetla, Kukatpally and surrounding areas.

The government is fast-tracking the relocation of about 180 odd electroplating units located in Jedimetla, Kukatpally and surrounding areas  as a first step towards disencumbering the Hussain Sagar Lake of metals. These units directed to transport their effluents to Jedimetla Effluent Treatment Plant (JETL).

These units  released  chemical-bath discharges like zinc, nickel and chromium into the Kukatpally nala which eventually flowed into the Hussain Sagar. A meeting was held in this regard recently between the officials of Telangana State Pollution Control Board, TS Industrial Infrastructure Corporation and GHMC.

“We have taken a decision to relocate the units by April 30," said Anil Kumar, Member Secretary, Telangana Pollution Control Board adding that the relocation is a permanent solution to Hussain Sagar lake.

The automotive park in Muppireddypallem village in Toopran in Medak district will house these units. A total of 78 plots in the automotive park in Toopran have been issued to single owners and 40 plots to joint owners and provided  power and water supply in the industrial cluster. A Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) with a capacity of  one Million Litre per Day (1 MLD) is also  being planned at the automotive park to cater to electroplating units and other industries in the area.

Till the CETP is fully functional, the government will bear the costs of transporting the waste to the Jedimetla plant.