VIJAYAWADA: Pointing out that releasing sewage water from residential colonies into the Eluru, Ryves and Bandar canals in Vijayawada is a health hazard, concerned residents of the city want the district administration to plug all such sewage lines when the cleaning drive is taken up.
Eluru, Bandar and Ryves canals supply drinking and irrigation water to 25 lakh people living in 450 villages of 20 mandals downstream. However, unmindful of the health hazard they are creating, residents of houses along these three canals let out sewage lines into these water bodies.
The district officials have decided to launch Nenu Sytham Krishnamma Suddhilo, a clean-up drive at the Krishna river and the three canals on May 2 and May 3, involving students, employees and NGOs.
The proposal has been wholeheartedly welcomed by the public at large, with many offering to volunteer while others offering suggestions.
Among the suggestions are calls to plug the release of drainage water and throwing of garbage into the canals.
The banks of these canals have been home to people in large numbers.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation tried to evict them several times and construct walking tracks on the banks, but the attempts proved futile.
Incidentally, the VMC too releases some drains into these canals which bring drinking water to the people of Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Vuyyur, Kankipadu, Hanuman Junction and other villages.
Citizens G. Veerabhadram, Sk. Eesa, P. Seshagiri and others said that the people residing on the canals have constructed toilets and the drains are let out into the canals.
They said that earlier, Vijayawada city too used water from these canals for drinking but stopped due to pollution.
They said that not only the VMC, but also the Sulabh complexes along the canals also let out sewage into the canals and pollute the water bodies .
Welcoming the clean drive, the citizens hoped that the officials will take action to plug the drains.
