Vijayawada: Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan will be visiting Icchapuram on January 3 to interact with kidney patients. In fact, they have met him while he was shooting at Hyderabad. When he had an interaction with them, he only assured them of visiting them once. “There will not be any public meeting. He will visit them and wish to know the ground reality as to why their problems were not addressed for several decades,” an associate of Pawan Kalyan said.
For the last two decades, people, particularly farmers and agricultural workers, have been badly affected with kidney ailments in the Uddanam area of Srikakulam district under which Ichhapuram falls. So far, 4,000 people have died and about 70,000 people are suffering from kidney disease here. According to the observations of the Congress party Doctor’s cell co-chairman Dr A.N. Radhakrishna and his team, people of around 90 villages of Srikakulam district are affected by kidney ailments.
In fact, the Andhra Medical College had carried out a study in association with Harvard University, which had identified high levels of silica in the water, which can be linked to the diseases. Noted Geologist of Andhra University, Professor M.J. Rao also said that the presence of silica needs to be examined in further extensive studies. “Silica alone may not be the reason, but the other hidden elements also have to be tested in the lab,” he observed.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also has identified this region as one of the three areas rapidly increasing with kidney cases. Moved with the sorrow tales of the people affected with kidney diseases, Pawan Kalyan wants to visit this area, and this is not a political tour strictly, Pawan Kalyan’s associate said. He also urged the fans to maintain decorum during Pawan Kalyan’s visit to Ichhapuram, as he wishes to embrace the people affected with kidney diseases and wants to extend his moral support. However, it is learnt that the Pawan Kalyan may pose queries to the medical and health department.
