Pawan expresses concern over Godavari pollution, orders strict action

Metro India News | RAJAHMUNDRY

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Environment and Forests Pawan Kalyan expressed deep anguish on Monday over the deteriorating condition of rivers, stating that humans are “killing the sacred life-giving rivers with their own hands and turning them into dead rivers. ”He warned that if the current negligence towards rivers continues, future generations will face severe drinking water scarcity. He criticized the paradoxical situation of polluting water freely and then spending crores of rupees under schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission to provide the same water.

Pawan Kalyan directed officials to immediately constitute an Inter-District Task Force to prevent pollution in the Godavari river basin. The Task Force should identify field-level problems and suggest permanent solutions. He also ordered the formation of a monitoring committee to ensure speedy implementation of the Task Force’s recommendations. He instructed that an Action Plan for river protection should be implemented from today and visible improvement in the river’s condition must be seen within the next six months.

The Deputy Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting on Godavari river pollution and preparedness for the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu on Monday morning at the Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation office. Ministers Nadendla Manohar and Kandula Durgesh participated in the meeting. He strongly criticized the practice of letting untreated sewage from houses directly into the Godavari, calling it a serious desecration of the holy river. He also ordered immediate field surveys to identify all pollution sources, including drains and tributaries dumping waste into the river.

He directed officials to conduct ‘pollution audits’ at major pollution hotspots and collect water samples for laboratory testing. Stressed that schemes like ‘Mission for Clean Godavari’ should not remain confined to just erecting boards but must show tangible results on the ground. He warned against hasty, substandard temporary works for Pushkara ghats, citing past incidents where structures collapsed, endangering devotees’ lives. The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized that preparations for next year’s “Pushkaralu” must begin immediately with proper planning and purity of intent.

Major announcements:

A special budget of Rs. 100 crores will be allocated through the Pollution Control Board for pollution control measures across the six districts along the Godavari, a strong inter-departmental task force will be formed in these districts to monitor and prevent industrial chemical waste and sewage from entering the river, to handle the expected 10 crore devotees (double the previous Pushkaralu footfall), 285 key village panchayats along the Godavari will be developed with beautiful ghats, ‘Home Stay’ facilities will be arranged in villages to provide accommodation and generate local employment and a plastic-free Godavari Pushkaralu will be organized. The government plans to impose a complete ban on single-use plastic across the six districts for one year. A dedicated environmental task force will work towards eliminating plastic and promoting alternatives.