Telangana: Bhadrachalam faces environmental concerns

Polavaram backwaters raises fears of flooding and displacement in the temple town; growing pollution from local industries affecting the region

Hyderabad: Bhadrachalam, the temple town on the banks of Godavari, is grappling with two pressing environmental concerns. The first is the impact of the Polavaram backwaters, which has raised fears of flooding and displacement. The second is the growing pollution from local industries and upstream industrial units, which is affecting not only the town but also several nearby villages, including Nagineniprolu, according to Bhadradri Pariraksha Samiti Convenor Busireddy Shankar Reddy.

He voiced serious concerns over the pollution caused by heavy water plants and industries such as ITC. The pollution has particularly affected drinking water sources for people in the area. Even the bathing ghats at the temple town are not free from the problem. It proved to be unsafe for devotees and residents alike. Reddy has questioned why a large-scale cleanup project, similar to the Ganga cleaning initiative, has not been undertaken for the Godavari. He emphasized the need for urgent intervention to protect the river and the communities that depend on it.

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Arun, CPM District Secretary for East Godavari, has raised serious concerns over the worsening pollution of the Godavari River. Rajahmundry, one of the major cities along the river, is experiencing the most severe impact, with its drinking water intake point directly affected by contamination. Despite repeated assurances from successive governments, the issue remains unresolved. The pollution stems not only from local industrial units, including the paper industry, but also from upstream pollutants originating in Maharashtra and Telangana. The combined effect is pushing the river’s pollution levels to alarming proportions, he said.