Sangareddy: Buffaloes die after drinking polluted lake water

Sangareddy: Grazing their cattle outside is proving to be costly for cattle keepers in villages located in industrial areas of Jinnaram Mandal as several buffaloes are dying after drinking water from lakes and other water bodies. Over 20 buffaloes belonging to farmers of Khajipalli, Gaddapotharam and Kistaipalli have died in the last 10 days after drinking water from the water bodies here. Since the industries located around these villages release harmful wastewater into the water bodies whenever it rains in the area, the water in these water bodies has reportedly turned poisonous.

While four buffaloes died on Thursday, four other buffaloes are battling for life after drinking water from local water bodies. Buffalo deaths have been reported for four consecutive days in these villages, starting from Monday. When the local pollution control board officials did not respond to their complaints, the farmers, led by local leaders, took the carcasses of these buffaloes to the Pollution Control Board (PCB) headquarters in Hyderabad on Wednesday and staged a massive protest. However, things have failed to change for them. Speaking to Telangana Today, Basetti Sai Kumar, a resident of Kistaipally, said that so far 14 of his buffaloes have died and three others are struggling for life.

Stating that they are suffering huge losses, Sai Kumar said the government has failed to act on their complaints while industries are making their lives difficult. Farmer and sarpanch Prakash Chari said sheep, goats, poultry and other livestock are also dying due to pollution, but these cases are largely going unreported. He further said that polluted water bodies are also making life difficult for wildlife and fish. Residents of these villages are also falling sick frequently as industries are releasing harmful waste polluting water, land and air, said Neerudi Srinivas, another farmer. He said the waste is disturbing the aquatic ecosystem in the lakes.