Overview
- Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan personally inspected pollution sites in Rajamahendravaram and had officials collect soil and water samples that were tested on the spot, which he said confirmed the presence of pollutants on Tuesday.
- He directed the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board to issue notices to Andhra Paper Limited for regulatory non-compliance and had APPCB officials collect formal samples in his presence to assess the scope of the discharge.
- As immediate measures he announced a ₹100 crore Clean Godavari grant, ordered formation of a task force to check pollution and instructed a revision of a proposed ₹8,600 crore development plan to prioritize river restoration before the Pushkarams.
- Pawan Kalyan publicly rebuked officials and Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh for inaction, demanded recovery of about Rs 13 crore in outstanding government dues from the mill and said health must take precedence over employment concerns.
- Enforcement outcomes and longer-term remediation remain pending, and officials will raise the issue at cabinet level as authorities weigh fines, recovery steps and cleanup work to reduce health risks to devotees expected to bathe in the river.