The ‘Save Guruganga’ campaign has reached Bidar

Residents of Manik Nagar and Humnabad organized a silent protest march ‘Bidar Chalo’ in Bidar on Monday demanding saving of Guruganga stream. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The ‘Save Guruganga’ campaign that started in Manik Nagar has now spread to Bidar district headquarters, with residents of several villages around Manik Nagar and Humnabad staging a ‘Bidar Chalo’ protest in the city on Monday, demanding urgent action to protect the Guruganga stream from industrial pollution.

The protest was led by Shri Manik Prabhu, Samsthan Secretary, Anandraj Manik Prabhu and Joint Secretary Chaitanyaraj Prabhu and Congress leaders Rajashekar Patil and Bheemrao Patil.

The protesting villagers traveled by train from Humnabad to Bidar and took out a silent march from the railway station to the deputy commissioner’s office. They later submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding the closure of industries allegedly discharging untreated sewage into the Guruganga stream.

Protesters said the Guruganga stream is a vital source of water for several villages in Humnabad taluk and supports agriculture and livelihoods of local communities. However, the discharge of industrial wastewater has heavily contaminated the stream, so that, according to the villagers, its water is not even suitable for agricultural use in several sections.

They argued that deteriorating water quality is also affecting aquatic life. Fish and other aquatic organisms are dying due to pollution, they claimed. The villagers further claimed that people living in the affected areas suffered from various health problems which they attributed to prolonged exposure and consumption of contaminated water.

The protesters urged the district administration to conduct a comprehensive assessment of water quality, identify industries responsible for pollution and take strict action against factories violating environmental norms. They also demanded an immediate stop to the discharge of untreated industrial waste into the stream and measures to restore Guruganga to its original ecological condition.

Villagers warned that the campaign would intensify if authorities did not initiate concrete measures to protect the watercourse and the communities dependent on it.

Published – 5 Oct 2026 23:36 IST