Kurnool Residents Demand Action to Protect KC Canal, Handri River

Kurnool: People are rallying to protect the Handri river and the KC canal from pollution and encroachments to ensure future safety. They voiced concern that the current situation could lead to a future flood in Kurnool similar to Budameru floods in Vijayawada in the absence of a protective wall.

Originally constructed between 1863 and 1870 as an irrigation and navigation canal, the Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal (KC Canal) has evolved, with navigation abandoned in 1933, and it serves as a major source of irrigation and drinking water.

However, the canal, which stretches for 7.5 kilometers within Kurnool city, is plagued by pollution, receiving wastewater from both domestic and commercial sources. Approximately 80,000 people live along its banks, where the encroachment and pollution have worsened over time.

Residents such as M. Mallikarjuna from Deva Nagar, have raised concerns about untreated wastewater from residential areas and hotels polluting the canal.

S. K. Mahaboobunnisa, a housewife from the old city, echoed the same concern pointing out the foul smell and unhealthy living conditions near the canal. However, officials from the Kurnool municipal corporation argue that they lack necessary funds to maintain the canal's cleanliness.

The Handri river, flowing through the city, faces similar challenges, with waste and bushes obstructing its water flow. People have encroached on areas on its outskirts, constructing houses and other structures. As a result, the flow area of the river has narrowed and residents are now demanding that these be cleared to ensure the safety of the city's population.

Proposals to construct protective walls for the Handri and Tungabhadra rivers were designed as early as 2007, following the 2009 devastating floods, but progress has been slow, with only inadequate funding allocated in 2018.

In response, people’s organisations, led by Handri and KC canal conservation committee convener Ramakrishna Reddy, are demanding immediate action, including cleaning the KC canal, evacuating encroachments, and constructing a protective wall for the Handri river.

Writer Kalkura Chandrasekhar called for a movement to put pressure on authorities to achieve a clean Kurnool, while Rythu Sangham leader Ramakrishna emphasized the need for long-term flood prevention measures.