pollution chokes Tungabhadra

Kurnool: Tungabhadra River, which meets Rayalaseema region’s drinking and irrigation needs, is turning into a polluted water body. People depending on it may be denied even drinking water if efforts are not made to check pollution of the river waters. Animal carcasses, human excreta and sewage, get mixed with it in the upper reaches. Foul smell emanates from the river all along its route and also the water has turned green.

Thunga water is so contaminated that people think twice even before touching a drop. If they take a bath, they are afraid of getting afflicted with skin ailments. Officials seem least bothered about it. Earlier called Pampa, Tungabhadra originated in the neighbouring Karnataka in the form of Thunga and Bhadra. These two rivers unite at Shivamogga in Shimoga district and become Tungabhadra at Sangameswaram in Kurnool district.

Several revered devasthanams and ashrams like Hampi Virupakshi, Mantralaya Raghavendra, Kurnool Saibaba, Alampur Jogulamba Devisahita Balabrameswara Swamy are located on the river’s bank, along with hundreds of villages. Residents of these villages depend on the river water for drinking purpose. Devotees visiting these ashrams make it a point to bathe in the river, as they view it as a holy water body.

Suguru Venkateswarlu of Kurnool blames the current state of Tungabhadra on the mushrooming of towns like Sivamogga, Bellari, Raichur and Mantralayam, on the riverbank right from Karnataka to Kurnool district. Waste discharged from houses, including plastic; pollute the river posing a grave threat to its future.

Ramayya, also of Kurnool, calls for immediate action by officials to protect the river from pollution threat. If not, he fears, people may be deprived of drinking water in the immediate future.

By:D Harikishan