In a move with far reaching implications, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly today passed a resolution to request the National Board of Wildlife, Government of India, and the Central Empowered Committee to recommend for reducing the boundary of Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.
The resolution has sought permission to reduce the boundary of Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary from five feet to three feet to mitigate the problems of farmers.
According to the Government resolution moved by B.Gopala Krishna Reddy, State Minister for Environment, the change is being requested as these farmers are not able to get adequate income from traditional agriculture without applying chemical fertilisers. So far, compensation for acquiring these lands to the owners has not been paid.
The compensation proposed to be paid for acquiring these lands will cause heavy financial burden on the State exchequer. Therefore the change is being sought.
The Kolleru lake has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary up to a contour of plus 5 feet in 1999 over an area of 30,855,20 hectares. This includes 14,861.33 acres of Ziroyathi lands, of which 13,899.47 acres is in West Godavari district and 961.86 acres in Krishna district.
Kolleru sanctuary serves as a home for diverse species of flora and fauna.
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