Bidar's Guruganga-Viraja pollution: Villagers to protest on Aug 11, demand urgent action

Residents of villages around Maniknagar in Humnabad taluk of Bidar district, Karnataka, have resolved to stage a protest on August 11 against the alleged discharge of industrial effluents into the Guruganga-Viraja rivulet. The protest comes amid long-standing complaints about contamination of water sources in the region. The decision was taken at a meeting held at Maniknagar on August 9.

The meeting was attended by Humnabad MLA Siddu Patil and MLC Chandrashekar Patil. Basvantrao Vibhuti, president of the Veerabhadreshwara temple committee, said the district administration must identify the source of pollution, stop the discharge of untreated effluents, conduct scientific testing of the rivulet and groundwater, assess the health impact on affected villagers, and establish a permanent mechanism to prevent industrial pollution. He said the authorities should act without any further delay to protect the health of the people.

Nisar Ahmed, a resident of Gadwanti village and a cancer patient, said contaminated water had severely affected his life. He expressed concern that continued pollution would put future generations at risk. “If we fail to prevent this pollution today, future generations will have to suffer badly by consuming this water,” he said. He raised health concerns, including among pregnant women, and demanded a scientific assessment of the pollution’s impact on public health. He urged the authorities to act before the situation worsens.

Siddanna Bhushetty, representing a farmers’ organisation, and residents Premila Tiwari and Manik Nimmane of Maniknagar alleged that untreated industrial effluents had turned the Guruganga-Viraja dark, foul-smelling and oily. They said groundwater and drinking water sources in Maniknagar, Gadwanti, Molkera, Dhummansur, Hudgi and nearby villages had been contaminated. The residents said the water had become unfit for drinking and domestic use, affecting the daily lives of hundreds of families.

Anandraj Manik Prabhu, president of Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan, clarified that the movement was not political and would not be given a political colour. “This is a movement to conserve and protect the Guruganga-Viraja river. We neither want to indulge in politics nor allow this important issue to be politicised,” he said. He described the water body as an important part of the region’s ecological, religious and cultural heritage, and said the movement would continue until the pollution issue was permanently resolved.

Mr. Anandraj appealed to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Eshwar Khandre to personally intervene in the long-pending issue and direct the authorities concerned to take decisive action. He urged the Minister to ensure that the source of pollution was identified, the water sources were scientifically tested, and industries violating environmental norms were dealt with strictly. He appealed to Mr. Khandre to provide permanent relief to the people of Maniknagar and surrounding villages by resolving the issue by August 15, Independence Day.

The residents and farmers warned that the August 11 protest would be followed by a larger agitation if the authorities failed to provide a concrete solution. They called on the administration to take the matter seriously and address the grievances of the affected villages at the earliest.