VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to make Krishna Pushkaralu 2016 environmentally friendly, the district administration has asked the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to stop emptying drain water into the river and keep tabs on the presence of E-Coli bacteria in the river water.
Given the large scale presence of E-Coli bacteria in the river water during Godavari Pushkarams last year, the officials are taking necessary precautions. Experts say E-Coli bacteria is dangerous, when it is present in the water in large quantities, as found during Godavari Pushkarams. “However, it will not stay long in the flowing water and the chances of E-Coli contamination during Krishna Pushkarams is nearly ruled out,” they said. Further, edge chlorination with bags of chlorine kept along the edge to enable chlorine seeping into the flowing water, thereby chlorinating it.
Further, RWS and Pollution Control Board have been entrusted the task of monitoring the water quality for other infestation. They will be taking water samples and sending them to laboratories for testing and act accordingly.
To ensure that the fecal matter does not enter the river water at bathing ghats, people coming to Krishna Pushkaralu are being advised to complete their early morning activities like brushing teeth, attending to nature’s call etc. in the Pushkar Nagars itself and only take a dip in the river. People are also being advised not to wash their clothes, use soap or shampoo while bathing in the river. All the panchayats downstream of the river and its canals have been directed to chlorinate the water before distribution among the public for consumption.
Since the use of plastic bottles has been on the rise for past couple of decades and so has been waste generated with discarded plastic bottles. In a bid to discourage people from littering the river with plastic waste a promotional song, penned by noted lyricist Jonnavithula Ramalingeswara Rao asking people to properly dispose plastic bottles is being a will be played on the ghats.