VPR Amrutha Dhara to Check Fluoride Crisis in Udayagiri
Local leaders, including village sarpanches and party workers, honoured the MP and MLA with shawls and garlands in recognition of their contributions.
Nellore: In a powerful push against available water getting contaminated by fluoride in certain villages of Udayagiri constituency, MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy has started five new Amrutha Dhara water purification plants in a single day.
This initiative of the MP’s VPR Foundation aims to provide safe drinking water in fluoride-affected regions, where getting clean water is a daily challenge.
"Excess fluoride in groundwater has been a long-standing issue in this region, causing serious health problems, like skeletal fluorosis, especially in rural communities," points out MLA Kakarla Suresh, who joined the MP in inaugurating a new plant at Venkatraopalli in the Udayagiri mandal.
The village wore a festive look, with flowers being showered, fireworks, folk performances, and local music bands adding colour to the occasion. Well-dressed women stood in line and collected pure drinking water in traditional pots after the VIPs switched on the motor after cutting the ribbon.
With this, the total number of VPR Amrutha Dhara plants in the constituency have risen to 36, part of a broader effort by the VPR Foundation, which has established 170 water purification units across the district.
"Udayagiri is close to my heart. This is where I launched the first Amrutha Dhara plant," MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy recalled during his address stating, "Access to clean water is a fundamental right. We are determined to make it a reality even in the remotest villages."
MLA Suresh lauded the MP’s commitment, calling him the "Garala Kanthudu" (one who swallows poison for the people)—a reference to mythological sacrifice. "Just like Lord Shiva drank poison to save the world, our MP is offering safe water to protect people from fluoride," the MLA pointed out.
Local leaders, including village sarpanches and party workers, honoured the MP and MLA with shawls and garlands in recognition of their contributions.
Several prominent figures attended the event, including former MLA Kambham Vijaya Rami Reddy and ex-zilla parishad chairman Ponnuboyina Chanchala Babu Yadav, apart from other leaders from TDP, BJP and Jana Sena.
However, a citizen present said. “The long-term solution lies in piped water supply from reliable sources like the Somasila reservoir. Until then, these water plants are a crucial lifeline."
