VIJAYAWADA: The State government has constituted a high-level Environment Protection Task Force (EPTF) to prevent pollution in the Godavari and other major rivers in the State ahead of the Godavari Pushkaralu scheduled to commence in June next year on Wednesday.
The government issued orders for the formation of the special task force following directions from Deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan.
The decision was taken after a high-level review meeting chaired by Pawan Kalyan in Rajamahendravaram, where officials were instructed to establish an inter-district task force to identify pollution sources and implement immediate remedial measures.
Environment and Forest department principal Secretary Kantilal Dande subsequently issued the government orders constituting the committee.
During his two-day visit to Rajamahendravaram, Pawan Kalyan personally travelled by boat and inspected the Nalla Channel and surrounding areas near Andhra Paper Mills.
He expressed serious concern over chemical waste from industries and untreated urban sewage directly entering the Godavari river.
He directed officials to ensure that devotees visiting the Pushkaralu should experience the spiritual satisfaction of taking a holy dip in clean and pure river waters instead of polluted surroundings.
According to the GO, the newly formed task force will focus on preventing the discharge of sewage and industrial waste into rivers and monitoring long-term environmental protection measures. The committee will be headed by the Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department, while the Member Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board will serve as the convener.
Senior officials from municipal administration, industries, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, endowments, water resources and rural water supply departments, along with district collectors from Godavari basin districts including East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, Kakinada, Konaseema and Polavaram, will be members of the committee.
The task force will meet once every 15 days to identify pollution sources and monitor corrective measures to ensure clean river waters before the Pushkaralu festival.