VIJAYAWADA: Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh on Monday said Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s two-day Rajamahendravaram tour had laid the foundation for a comprehensive master plan aimed at restoring the Godavari River and ensuring pollution-free waters for the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu.
Describing the initiative as the beginning of a “Swachh Godavari - Pavitra Pushkaralu” mission, the Minister said the government moved swiftly from inspection to action, issuing orders within 24 hours to constitute a high-level Environment Protection Task Force to tackle pollution in the State’s major rivers.
Highlighting the Pushkaralu Master Plan, the Minister said the government had identified 262 gram panchayats across six districts in the Godavari basin for a large-scale sanitation and wastewater management programme. The objective is to make the entire river stretch pollution-free ahead of the 2027 Pushkaralu, which is expected to attract nearly 10 crore devotees. A dedicated real-time monitoring and control centre, will be set up to track industrial discharges, he stated.