CM for humane solution to resolve Kolleru lake issue

 Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday underlined the need to protect the environmentally significant Kolleru lake, India's largest freshwater lake, while addressing the challenges faced by locals with a ‘humane perspective’.

During a comprehensive review meeting on long-pending issues related to Kolleru lake, the Chief Minister delved into court rulings, regulations, Central directives, local conditions, and intricate ecological and contour-related matters. He also highlighted the plight of nearly three lakh people residing within the Kolleru contour region, who have been facing hardships for years.

Naidu claimed that the previous TDP government (2014-2019) had made significant strides in resolving these issues. In 2018, the National Wildlife Board recommended excluding 20,000 acres of Jirayat and D-Patta lands from the Kolleru sanctuary and proposed new boundaries, a recommendation that was subsequently sent to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). However, after objections arose, the Centre sought the state government's opinion. The Chief Minister lamented that the YSRCP government, which came to power in 2019, made no efforts to address the issue.

Regarding the 20,000 acres of land, Naidu said justice must first be ensured to the farmers. “The state's proposals must be submitted to the CEC and the Supreme Court, and efforts should be made to convince them. The action plan must ensure justice not only to the environment and birds but also to the local people,” he said.

Further, the CM stressed the need to prevent Kolleru from turning into a cesspool of pollution, advocating for proper treatment of drain water entering the lake. He called for an end to the unchecked release of polluting drains and said the drains must be desilted to ensure smooth water flow.

Encroachments on Upputeru channel, which carries water from Kolleru to the sea, must be removed, said Naidu, along with desilting for free water discharge into the sea. He asked officials to prepare estimates and commence work immediately.

In a parallel initiative to boost green cover across the state, the Chief Minister instructed officials to launch a massive tree-planting campaign on June 5, with an ambitious target of one crore saplings. He urged collectors, ministers, and public representatives to actively participate in this drive.

He further directed that plantations be carried out in educational institutions, hospitals, government offices, bus stations, and along roadways, with proper tree guards in place to ensure their survival.

The Chief Minister noted that the state's green cover has risen from 29 per cent last year to 30.5 per cent this year. The long-term goal is to increase it to 37 per cent by 2033 and 50 per cent by 2047. He emphasised the need for a minimum annual increase of 1.5 per cent in green cover. He also stressed the importance of using satellite imagery to determine the exact extent of green cover, including in the CRDA area, and insisted that each planted sapling be geo-tagged, with a focus not just on planting but also on nurturing and protecting the trees.

Chief Secretary K Vijay Anand, senior officials, Deputy Speaker Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju, and MLAs Kamineni Srinivas, Dharma Raju, and Chintamaneni Prabhakar, among others, participated in the meeting.