Hundreds of students and residents of villages around the Humnabad Industrial Area took out a protest march in Humnabad in Bidar district on Monday, seeking permanent measures to prevent the discharge of alleged toxic industrial effluents into the sacred Guruganga stream at Maniknagar.

They said the pollution posed a serious threat to public health, the environment and a revered pilgrimage centre.

The rally, led by Shri Manik Prabhu Samsthan, began from the samsthan premises and culminated at the Humnabad Tahsildar’s office. Carrying black flags and raising slogans, the protesters sought immediate action to stop pollution of the stream.

The samsthan president Anandraj Manik Prabhu and joint secretary Chaitanyaraj Prabhu submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar, urging the authorities to act within three days and warning of an intensified agitation involving residents of all affected villages if no action was taken.

MLA for Humnabad Siddu Patil and MLC Bhimrao Patil joined the protest.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Prabhu alleged that untreated effluents from some chemical units in the Humnabad Industrial Area had been illegally discharged into the Guruganga stream for nearly a decade. He claimed that the pollution had turned the water black, produced foul odour, formed an oily layer on the surface and resulted in the death of aquatic life.

He also alleged that the contamination had spread to groundwater, threatening drinking water sources in Maniknagar, Humnabad, Gadavanti, Molkera, Dhummansur, Hudgi and neighbouring villages. The pollution could expose residents to skin ailments, gastrointestinal infections, liver and kidney disorders, neurological complications and other health problems, he added.

Mr. Patil said lakhs of devotees visit Maniknagar every year to take a holy dip at the Guruganga-Viraja Sangam and urged the authorities to safeguard the stream from industrial pollution.

The memorandum sought a comprehensive inquiry to identify the source of the contamination, strict action against industries found violating environmental laws and the establishment of a permanent mechanism to prevent industrial effluents from entering the Guruganga stream.

Published - August 04, 2026 07:55 pm IST