Polluted rivers turn devotees away

RAJANNA-SIRCILLA / JAGTIAL: People in TS and Andhra revere the Godavari river — it is after all a lifeline for both the Telugu states. But devotees’ of the temple towns of Dharmapuri and Vemulawada know how unwelcome and polluted the river has become at their respective places.  In fact the river has become so polluted that the devotees choose to not take their holy dips in it.

Dharamapuri, which is on the right bank of Godavari, and Vemulawada, which is on the bank of its tributary Mulavagu, are separated by a distance of around 70 km. Vemulawada is home to the Sri Raja Rajeshwara temple, while Dharmapuri has the famous Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Devasthanam.
Both towns have had, for almost ten years, drainage systems that left sewage untreated and this sewage was allowed to flow into river in such a condition.