Sangareddy: Buffaloes die after drinking water from polluted lake; farmers protest with carcasses

Over the past 10 days, more than 20 buffaloes belonging to farmers from Khajipally, Gaddapotharam, and Kistaipally have died after drinking water from local bodies. It is alleged that industries surrounding these villages have been releasing harmful effluents into the water bodies during rainfall, turning the water toxic.

Sangareddy: Grazing their cattle outside is proving costly for cattle rearers in villages located in industrial areas in Jinnaram mandal with many buffaloes dying after drinking water from lakes and other water bodies.

During the last 10 days, more than 20 buffaloes of farmers from Khajipally, Gaddapotharam, and Kistaipally died after drinking water from water bodies here. Since the industries located around these villages were releasing harmful effluents into the water bodies whenever the area witnessed rain, the water in these water bodies have allegedly turned into poison.

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While four buffaloes died on Thursday, four other buffaloes were battling for life after consuming water from local water bodies. Buffalo deaths were reported for four consecutive days in these villages beginning from Monday. When the local pollution control board officials failed to respond to their complaints, the farmers led by local leaders took the carcasses of these buffaloes to the head office of the Pollution Control Board (PCB) in Hyderabad on Wednesday and staged a massive protest.

However, things have failed to change for them. Speaking to Telangana Today, Basetti Sai Kumar, a resident of Kistaipally, said that he lost 14 buffaloes so far and three others were battling for life. Saying that they were suffering huge losses, Sai Kumar said the government had failed to act on their complaints though the industries were making their life difficult.

Farmer and Sarpanch Prakash Chary said that sheep, goats, cocks and other livestock were also dying due to pollution but these cases were going largely unreported. He further said that the polluted water bodies were also making life difficult for wildlife, and fish.

Another farmer Neerudi Srinivas said that the residents in these villages were also falling sick quite frequently as the industries were releasing harmful effluents polluting water, land, and air. The effluents were disturbing aquatic ecosystems in lakes, he added.