Godavari towns in grip of ‘plastic’ toxicants -BVS Bhaskar

RAJAHMUNDRY (Andhra Pradesh): As the government is busy in holding meetings on how to conduct Godavari Pushkarams, findings by two separate NGOs from Chennai and Hyderabad have exposed dangers of unhygienic conditions, unclean surroundings and toxicants spread through excess usage of plastic along the Godavari bunds and its adjourning towns and villages.

Centre for Environment Studies in Southern India (CESSI), Chennai and Organization against River Water Pollution (ORWP), Hyderabad have separately conducted surveys in June and August this year and handed over the reports of their findings to Pollution Control Board authorities recently.

According to reports, Rajahmundry city alone is contributing 50 tonnes of plastic daily through various sources. The amount of plastic constitutes a major chunk of the 250-tonne garbage collected by the sanitation department of Municipal Corporation of Rajahmundry (MCR). "The sewage treatment plant (STP) is not up to the mark. The plant is operated to just 40 per cent of its total capacity in the last six months," said M. Meyappan, member of CESSI, Chennai.

Deepak Sahani of ORWP, in his report, took objection to the medical fraternity of Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Ramachandrapuram, Tuni and Kakinada for not disposing bio-medical waste in proper way and letting out in river Godavari. "Most of the hospitals have hired some private bio-medical vans which collect waste. But, some hospitals are either letting it out in river Godavari or other tanks on the outskirts of their village or burning the waste in their premises resulting in emanation of hazardous pollutants," Mr. Deepak said.

The in-charge member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board, Sandeep Kumar Sultania said that the pristine river Godavari had become a victim of pollution from last several years and the irrigation canal system developed by the British engineer, Arthur Cotton, was in for a disaster if remedial measures are not initiated, he said.