The Hindu Business Line : Coastal corridor plan condemned

Visakhapatnam, April 28 The proposed coastal corridor from Srikakulam district to Nellore will prove ecologically disastrous and ruinous to the livelihood of fishermen and other vulnerable groups along the coast and, therefore, the State Government should give up the proposal, according to the members of the Committee against the coastal corridor.

At a press conference here on Monday, members said the State Government was preparing the blueprint for the project in violation of the Coastal Regulatory Zone Act and other laws protecting the coast and it was utterly unmindful of the welfare of fishermen and communities dependent on the sea.

Mr V.S. Krishna, State Secretary of the Human Rights Forum, said the State Government was planning to acquire 1.5 lakh acres, mostly fertile agricultural land, along the coast from Srikakulam to Kakinada in East Godavari district for the petrochemical investment region.

The State Government was keen on developing the region as an industrial corridor and was pursuing its agenda remorselessly, he alleged.

The precious water resources in the ecologically-sensitive coastal belt would either be ruined or misused, and the Government was not being responsive to the pleas of the NGOs, he said.

Public meeting

Mr K.S Chalam, Convener of the Committee, said a public meeting would be organised here on May 3 to sensitise the public and make it aware of the adverse impact of the proposed corridor on environment and the lives of fishermen.

Ms Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachao activist, Mr K. Balagopal, human rights activist, and Mr B.D Sarma would participate in the public meeting.

More Stories on : Infrastructure | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page