Five departments including Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) and Fisheries authorities launched a fresh survey to identify illegal aqua ponds and illegal excavation of beach sand in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district to prepare a compliance report to be submitted to the Southern Zone of the National Green Tribunal (NGT-Chennai).
On September 30, the NGT will conduct the final hearing of the case filed by Venkatapathi Raja Yenumula vs Union of India. The final hearing is scheduled for September 30.
In it’s September 4 order, the NGT had stated: “The State Authorities have not complied with the directions given in 2022. Otherwise, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will be directed to conduct an inspection and find out the reason for the failure of the authorities in not implementing the order.”
Mr. Venkatapathi Raja moved the NGT over the alleged illegal beach sand mining and thriving of illegal aqua ponds along the stretch of coastal belt in the mandals of Rajole, Malikipuram and Sakhinetipalli.
Talks held
Meanwhile, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema District Collector R. Mahesh Kumar on Saturday held talks with the officials concerned to prepare a compliance report to be submitted to the NGT.
“A fresh survey is being conducted to identify illegal aqua ponds and points where beach sand was excavated in the mandals of Malkipuram, Sakhinetipalli and Mamidikuduru. The purpose of the survey is to submit our report to the NGT,” Mr. Mahesh Kumar told The Hindu on Saturday.
In the survey, the officials will document the scale of aqua ponds, owners, permissions from respective authorities and quality of groundwater in the villages in the three mandals. Joint Collector T. Nishanthi, APPCB Executive Engineer Sandeep Reddy and Fisheries Joint Director N. Srinivas and other officials were present at the talks.
Published - September 21, 2024 06:54 pm IST
