Swarnamukhi river beautification efforts go waste

Tirupati : The beautification efforts of the Swarnamukhi river near Srikalahasti temple area are seriously being hampered by the dumping of construction debris and other material into it. It appears that the expenditure of Rs 12 crore is going down the drain. Taking serious note, the Srikalahasti Devasthanam has initiated a few corrective steps to protect the sanctity of the river.

Srikalahasti MLA Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy has initiated steps for the beautification of the Swarnamukhi river to give a pleasant experience to the visiting devotees to the Devasthanam.

Efforts were on to divert the drainage water through a separate pipeline without polluting the river. The idea was to develop the river which passes through the town from the temple area as a recreational spot.

But, these efforts were getting a big blow with the regular dumping of building debris into the river. These waste materials are being shifted to the river belt through tractors and bullock carts. The collected materials are left on the down side of the Rama Sethu bridge. Temple trust board chairman Anjuru Taraka Srinivasulu has taken steps to completely clean up the river area and given instructions that nothing should be left in the river belt area. He asked the temple authorities to prevent tractors and bullock carts from entering the area by setting up a check post. Srinivasulu warned of criminal proceedings against the persons dumping the waste material into the river. He appealed to everyone to extend a helping hand to keep the river clean.