Farmers and residents are concerned after suspected chemical contamination in the Gollapudi Pumping Lift Irrigation Scheme (GPLIS) canal led to large-scale fish deaths and fears of damage to paddy crops at in several villages in Vijayawada Rural mandal of NTR district and Mustabad of Krishna district.

The incident reportedly occurred three days ago, following which farmers alerted Revenue authorities and officials of the Irrigation Development Corporation (IDC) Department. Teams from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) visited the spot, collected water samples, and sent them to a laboratory for analysis. The test results are awaited.

According to sources, an unknown toxic substance was allegedly released into the canal near the Gollapudi–Jakkampudi Road. The contaminated water flowed downstream through Ambapuram, P Nainavaram, Pathapadu, KV Kandrika, and Nunna before reaching Pedacheruvu at Mustabad in Gannavaram mandal of Krishna district. The canal water reportedly turned reddish and greenish, and several fish were found dead, particularly in the Pathapadu area.

Alarmed by the incident, farmers from Pathapadu, KV Kandrika, and Nunna rushed to their fields and began draining contaminated water from paddy fields to prevent crop damage. Many expressed concern over the possible impact on crop health and yield.

Devireddy Srinivas Reddy, a farmer from KV Kandrika, expressed concern over the water contamination and the death of fish. He said that, following the advice of agriculture officials, he began draining the contaminated water from his paddy fields to prevent crop damage.

The canal also serves as a source of drinking water for Nunna and nearby villages. After noticing the discolouration, local panchayat authorities reportedly stopped pumping canal water into drinking water tnaks as a precautionary measure.

APPCB NTR district Executive Engineer Srinivas confirmed that unidentified persons had discharged chemicals into the canal. He said water samples were collected immediately and investigations are underway. Joint teams of pollution control and revenue officials are patrolling the canal bund to identify those responsible. He also said that a similar incident had occurred two years ago, following which a company was shut down. Officials urged the public to report any illegal discharge of chemicals into water bodies, warning that strict action would be taken against the culprits.

Source - https://www.thehansindia.com