National Green Tribunal bench takes up DC Kurnool report suo motu

KURNOOL: The National Green Tribunal’s south zone bench in Chennai took up suo motu a news report in Deccan Chronicle on December 10 last titled, ‘Kurnool shocked by the quality of KMC water’, and heard the matter via video conference on Wednesday.

About 22 respondents have been arrayed including secretary to the Union environment-forest-climate change ministry (MOEF). Notices will be issued to the respondents.

The failure of Kurnool Municipal Corporation (KMC) in providing safe drinking water to its citizens was highlighted in the DC report. KMC  primarily depends on the Tungabhadra river which is polluted, but this has been glossed over by successive special officers, the report had noted.

Elected representatives, government officials and prominent citizens of Kurnool city thanked Deccan Chronicle for highlighting civic issues.

Pollution in Handri and Tungabhadra, the two rivers that flow across Kurnool city, has been causing health risks to people residing on the river bank. The river needs to be cleared of plastic waste and other non-degradable material, as also lead and cadmium. Regional pollution control board officials say Tungabhadra waters showed marginally higher toxins after Pushkarams.

The RPCB has conducted a test on the quality of water in Tungabhadra at start of December after completion of the Tungabhadra Pushkarams and found that two parameters, namely biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total coliform bacteria, were exceeding the standard limits.

Citizens of Kurnool hoped that the NGT order would help in supply of safe drinking water. “I think Kurnool may get a sewerage treatment plant with the latest amenities, said a senior citizen.