Andhra Pradesh Vows Action on Godavari Pollution: Minister's Assurance

Andhra Pradesh's Roads and Buildings Minister BC Janardhan Reddy has committed to addressing pollution and other environmental issues affecting the riparian zones of the Godavari river, attributed to operations by ONGC and GAIL. During an Assembly session, Reddy emphasized the government's plan to obtain detailed ground-level reports from officials to inform their response.

MLAs G Satyanarayana and Deva Vara Prasad raised concerns about the environmental impact, including ground shrinking and obstructed water runoff. They pointed out that the sewage overflow is a significant problem, warranting government intervention.

In addition to environmental concerns, the government intends to examine allegations of ONGC and GAIL failing to allocate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds adequately in the region. The minister assured that if these claims are substantiated, necessary action will be taken against the companies. However, Reddy clarified that despite local job reservation requests, recruitment for the companies remains a national-level process.

(With inputs from agencies.)