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AP Lokayukta orders swift action on Kurnool sewage crisis
In Short
- Following an investigative report published in The Hans India on October 10, AP Lokayukta Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao took suo motu cognisance of untreated sewage dumping into a canal connecting the Tungabhadra River in Kurnool
- The KMC Commissioner was directed to inspect the Masamaseed pumping station area, stop illegal dumping, enforce authorized disposal, and prosecute violators
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Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta, Justice T Mallikarjuna Rao
KURNOOL: Taking serious note of the illegal discharge of untreated sewage into a canal feeding the Tungabhadra River, Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta Justice T. Mallikarjuna Rao has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter following an impactful news report published in The Hans India on October 10. The report, titled “Authorities turn blind as tankers go on dumping sewage into Tungabhadra”, highlighted how private tankers were discharging untreated waste near Kurnool’s Masamaseed Pumping Station, severely endangering public health and drinking water sources.
Registering a formal complaint under the AP Lokayukta Act, 1983, Justice Mallikarjuna Rao issued comprehensive directions on October 13 to three major administrative wings.
The Lokayukta ordered the Kurnool Municipal Corporation Commissioner to immediately inspect the site, halt illegal dumping, ensure waste processing at designated facilities, and initiate legal action against offenders. Simultaneously, the Kurnool District Superintendent of Police was directed to identify and prosecute delinquent tanker operators. Furthermore, the Environmental Engineer of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) Regional Office was instructed to collect water samples and evaluate contamination risks along the Tungabhadra River.
Emphasizing that coordinated inter-departmental action is essential to protect Kurnool city’s primary drinking water source, the Lokayukta mandated all three authorities to enforce strict preventive measures. The officials have been directed to submit comprehensive action-taken reports within 30 days, with the Lokayukta bench posting the matter for further hearing on November 30, 2026.
