Kurnool: The KC Canal, a vital source of drinking and irrigation water in Kurnool, is struggling due to pollution. It receives wastewater from domestic and commercial sources.
It is widely felt that this happens because of neglect by the municipal and irrigation departments even as the city is home to around 10 lakh residents spread over 50 divisions. Officials cite "lack of funds" as the reason why things are turning from bad to worse.
More than 100 unauthorised colonies have sprouted along the banks of the canal. The locals blame the municipal corporation, saying that it did not care to maintain the city’s cleanliness and drinking water quality.
KC Canal stretches a distance of 7.5km within the district headquarters and is flanked by 111 colonies on its two sides in the city. City streets have expanded from the Munagalapadu limits to the outskirts of Padidempadu village in Kurnool mandal. Some 80,000 people reside along the banks of the canal in the city limits.
Originally constructed between 1863 and 1870 as an irrigation and navigation canal, the Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal (KC Canal) has undergone changes over the years. The navigation system functioned till 1933, but the canal continued to serve as a major irrigation source.
The canal is now facing pollution issues. Garbage such as empty soft drink cans, plastic covers, food waste and the like are accumulating in its waters. The lack of protective fencing along the canal makes it easy for some people to dispose of garbage, effectively turning it into a dumping ground.
K. Raghavendra Reddy, a resident of Devanagar who works with a private firm, shared his dismay over the worsening situation along the KC canal. Several residential areas in the city release wastewater and connect their drains directly into the canal. Certain hotels consistently discharge dirty water into it, he said.
Some residents use the canal banks for open defecation, he added.
Sheikh Ahmadullah, a resident in Joharapuram Colony, expressed a similar opinion and described the situation in his area as pathetic. He emphasized that the entire area emitted a foul smell along the canal, making it difficult for residents to live comfortably.
According to Kurnool municipal corporation officials, storm water and wastewater from various residential areas in the city converge into the KC canal through open drains. They claim that their staff cleaned it last year. They plan to launch an awareness campaign, encouraging people to keep the area clean. The officials cite the excuse of “lack funds” for their failure to maintain the canal's cleanliness.
Residents living near the canal express their concern about the worsening situation. They say residential areas and hotels are releasing dirty water into the canal and some people even used the canal banks for open defecation. The situation worsens during the rainy season when dirty water is splashed around by passing vehicles.
