SRIKAKULAM: Nagavali river water, the prime source of drinking water for cattle, is getting contaminated with the drainage water being discharged directly into the river from several areas of the city. Drainage water from Day and Night Junction, Relli Veedhi, Vyshnava Veedhi, Seven Road Junction, Balaga, Dammala Veedhi, Housing Board Colony is discharged into the river.
Keeping the contamination of river water in view, municipal officials have started construction of sewage treatment plant (STP) under the AMRUT scheme at a cost of `30 crore near the Collectorate; it was sanctioned in January last year and only 15 per cent of the work has been completed so far. Mirthi canal, the main drainage canal of Srikakulam is being renovated at a cost of `40 crore.
But both of these have been stalled from the past four months due to fund crunch.
People living on the banks of Nagavali river in Srikakulam depend on the river for their day-to-day activities. People living in low-lying areas suffer from various diseases and health problems. Although, many people have stopped going to the river, fearing diseases, some still depend on it for taking bath and other needs. “We frequently suffer from skin diseases and other health problems by taking a bath in the contaminated river water,” resident of Dammala Veedhi, Mailapalli Nagu said.
Srikakulam municipal corporation Public Health Department Divisional Engineer K Dakshina Murthy said that under the project, drainage water would be purified at the STP before being discharged into the river at Ponnada village. After renovation of Mirthi canal, several drainage canals would be linked to it before reaching the drainage water at the STP.