Forget about washing away sins after taking a holy dip in Godavari waters at historic and ancient Sri Laxminarasimha Swamy Devasthanams at the famous Dharmapuri temple town, one is sure of acquiring contagious disease due to the murky and polluted waters in the river due to negligence of authorities.
The drainage water of Dharmapuri goes into the river causing pollution and risking the lives of people, who come from far and near to take a dip. During Godavari Pushkarams in the year 2003, then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who visited the temple shrine to participate in the Pushkarams, promised to beautify the shrine and establish a sewerage treatment plant (STP) to avoid drainage water into the river.
Years have passed and there is no clue about the promise made about the establishment of an STP or at least an alternative plan to divert he drainage water.
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During festivities, pilgrims coming from far-flung places are forced to bath in the murky waters as there was no other way.
This year, because of no inflows into the river following the drought, the situation had become worse.
Adding to the murky waters in the river is the presence of pigs and dogs that cause further worry for the pilgrims. To aggravate the problem, pilgrims kill fowls and dump the waste into the river.
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The temple authorities are busy collecting huge parking fees from the vehicles coming to the Santoshi Mata temple to bathe in the river, but fail to provide basic amenities to the pilgrims such as clean water and proper sanitation. It is high-time, the authorities concentrate on providing basic amenities to the pilgrims and transform into a model shrine.