Pollution Control Board notice to Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for polluting Hussainsagar

HYDERABAD: Even as environmentalists have been crying foul over the severe pollution of water bodies in the city, including Hussainsagar lake, the authorities have stumbled upon pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) dumping untreated effluents into the Jeedimetla Nallah that ultimately leads to Hussainsagar lake.

The company has been slapped with a show cause notice (no RR-II-103/PCB/TF-HYD/2013) by the AP Pollution Control Board ( APPCB) for the same and asked to respond within 15 days as to why action should not be taken against it for causing severe pollution of Hussainsagar lake.

According to the PCB, a night patrolling team of the board, during inspection of the Jeedimetla Industrial Estate on October 23, 2013, observed that untreated effluents generated from G-block of DRL’s Jeedimetla unit IV (located at Plot No 9/A, Phase III, IDA, Jeedimetla, Ranga Reddy district) were being discharged along with rainwater into Jeedimetla Nallah through open drains instead of being taken to the effluent treatment plant located in DRL’s Bollaram unit in Medak district.