Polluted lakes dim Bathukamma celebrations in Sangareddy villages

The festive spirit of Bathukamma, Telangana’s iconic floral festival, has been dampened in several villages of Sangareddy district due to polluted and dried-up lakes, leaving locals disappointed and worried. Traditionally, women immerse the beautifully arranged flower stacks (Bathukammas) in village ponds and lakes, marking the cultural essence of the celebration.

This year, however, the growing pollution levels, untreated sewage, and industrial waste have made many lakes unsafe for ritual use. In some villages, residents reported foul smells, murky waters, and accumulated waste, making immersion impossible. Communities that once gathered in large numbers by the lakeside were instead forced to look for alternative sites or reduce the scale of their celebrations.

Villagers expressed concern over the declining state of water bodies, urging authorities to take swift action.

Environmentalists too have called for urgent lake restoration projects, stressing that unchecked pollution threatens not only cultural traditions but also local ecosystems and groundwater.

People in Sangareddy have been advised to look for alternative sites for their celebrations.