GUNTUR: Naguleru a local stream, once source of clean and freshwater, has now become a convenient dump yard of rural areas of Dachepalli and Karampudi in Palnadu region of Guntur district. Naguleru stream is the main source of drinking and irrigation water, but now it is narrowing due to unauthorised occupation on both sides of the stream. Over the years, the traders have been dumping garbage into the local stream, which has been spreading bad odour and the subsequent water pollution has posed threats to the people.
Naguleru is spread over an area of 2,800 acres in Dachepalli, Karampudi and Nallama Forest area. It is a tributary of the River Krishna, which rises in the Nallamala Forest area near the Nayakurali pass in Vinukonda range and flows northwards across Macherla range over a distance of 32 km till it joins the River Krishna near Ramapuram of Dachepalli Mandal. Once called as Nageswari river and also River Naga the tributary of Krishna River is now called Naguleru.
The people of Palnadu remember the famous Palnati Yudham (battle of Palnadu) fought between two brothers Nalagama Raju and Malideva Raju in 1182 CE on the banks of Naguleru stream at Karampudi village. Since then, the descended of warriors have been conducting Palanati Veeraradhana Utsavalu every year at Karampudi to remember the warriors and a cockfight, which decided the outcome of Palnati Yudham. Nalagama under pretext of Malideva’s defeat in a cockfight exiled him from Palnadu. Every year, the descended of warriors conduct cockfight on the banks of Naguleru in Karampudi.
Mainly, the stream flows through Karampudi, Chaintapalli, Kesanupalli, Peda Kodamagondla, China Kodamakondla, Dachepalli, Kesanapalli, Takkellapadu, Alugumallipadu and other villages in the Palnadu region but it has dried up for the past five years due to insufficient rains. The stream again gained flow this year due to sufficient rains and release of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Right canal.Karampudi resident, M Satyanarayana and Dachepalli resident, A Srinivasa Rao expressed their fear about the water crisis.
They said the government constructed three check dams but they do not serve any purpose as the dams can not store sufficient water.
They are worried about unauthorized occupation of banks as constructions of houses on both sides of Naguleru in Dachepalli, Karampudi was posing a threat and may lead to disappearance of the stream.
They urged officials to protect the stream and preserve the history of Palnati Yuddham for future generations.Panchayati EO K Kasiviswanadh said the department had issued notices to traders, who were dumping garbage into Naguleru and further on the road side of Karampudi but they were reluctant to follow norms. He said he would seek support of police department after submitting the report to higher officials. Gurajala Revenue Division Officer (RDO) J Pardhasardhi said he would initiate action by directing the local officials in view of the impending summer seasons to check water crisis in the villages on the banks of Naguleru.
Palnati Yudham
Battle of Palnadu was fought between two brothers Nalagama Raju and Malideva Raju in 1182 CE on the banks of Naguleru stream at Karampudi village. Every year villagers conduct Palanati Veeraradhana Utsavalu in memory of the warriors