Alleging large-scale pollution of the Krishna river and sand mining, social activist Bolisetty Satyanarayana has urged Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu to move the expansion of his house away from the river bund.
Founder of the Isha Foundation Jaggi Vasudev should first convince Mr. Naidu to stop expansion of his house as his “Rally for Rivers” was advocating that one-km-wide green cover be provided on either side of the rivers, Mr. Satyanarayana told reporters here on Friday. The Sadhguru is scheduled to meet the Chief Minister on September 13 as a part of the rally. Mr. Satyanarayana said there was no point in continuing the yatra if Jaggi Vasudev failed to convince the Chief Minister. He said 95 % of the Krishna was polluted and could be redeemed only if Chief Ministers of AP, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra came together. The national water convention for drought-free India in Karnataka last month that came out with the Vijayapura Declaration demanded river Parliaments.
Sand mining
He said sand was being mined from the bed of the river Krishna irrespective of whichever government was in power and it should be stopped as water conservation depended on sand beds.
He also took exception to deepening the Kondaveeti Vagu and erecting lift on it, saying it would prevent the flooding of the stream bringing rich soil to the surface helping farmers. Also water flows from under the bund and lift was not required, he said. Mr. Satyanarayana, who petitioned the NGT on Amaravati stating that clearance was not obtained from the MoEF, said though the rivers were different, the case involving Sri Sri Ravi Shankar relating to conduct of an event on the flood plains of Yamnua and construction of new capital were the same in nature.
He alleged sewerage was passing from under the Buddha statue at Amaravati and nearby there was a bathing ghat.