Vijayawada: Toxic discharges from cement projects and chemical factories upstream Krishna river threaten to overshadow “blue and green” capital city Amaravati.
Industries in Jaggiahapeta, Nandi-gama, Gudimetla, Ramanapeta and other areas were allegedly polluting the river water, but the Pollution Control Authority is turning a blind eye to it.
Huge biotech factories in Peddavaram and Keesara are polluting Munneru, which is a major tributary to river Krishna.
“The dream of Chief Minsiter N. Chandra-babu to construct eco-friendly capital city is in danger with huge industries polluting river Krishna. CRUX Biotech, located at Peddavaram village of Nandigama mandal, has become a big problem for us. It produces ethanol, a form of spirit from corn. Many lift irrigation schemes are operating in this area and lakhs of people in and around 40 villages use this polluted water for drinking purposes,” social activist K. Ramana Babu said.
Many locals earlier staged protest in these regions, opposing huge industries in the river basin.
“The government, which has a responsibility of protecting rivers, is encouraging industries releasing harmful chemicals into rivers. We have been fighting against Sentini Bio Products, situated at Gudeimetla, for years, which are seriously polluting water in Munneru. The said company is taking revenge on us for complaining to the collector on this issue,” he said.
“The government, which is harping about ‘blue-green capital’, is ignoring the safety of river Krishna. Cement industries in Vedadri and Jaggiahpet region have been polluting the river from decades and in addition to these, bio-tech factories at Nandigama region were polluting Munneru and Krishna, which will be a big threat in future. We have raised our voice against these earlier in public hearings and Praja Vani, but there was no response from government and the Pollution Control Board is not in a position to hear our agony,” social activist B. Gopala Krishna Sai said.
Officials of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board were seriously condemning the allegations made by villagers and said advanced online monitoring system was arranged by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
“No industry is releasing solid wastes into river Krishna. We have taken serious measures to control these and CRUX Biotech is equipped with advanced waste to powder and cake mechanism, which is showing good results, and Sentini Biotech has also updated its waste management. We request the villagers to trust measures taken up by us,” APPCB environmental engineer E. Satyanarayana said.
