Take immediate action to safeguard Mudasarlova Reservoir
Visakhapatnam: National Convenor of Jal Biradari and state general secretary (Environment) of Jana Sena Party Bolisetty Satyanarayana raised serious concerns over environmental destruction and illegal land acquisitions across North Andhra.
With India signing the BBNJ (Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction) treaty, Satyanarayana said at a media conference held in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday that coastal pollution is no longer just a local issue but falls under international legal frameworks and cities like Visakhapatnam play a pivotal role in this.
Expressing concern over hundreds of millions of litres of pharmaceutical and industrial waste that are being dumped into the sea, creating ‘dead zones’, Satyanarayana said the effluents destroy the ocean’s carbon-absorbing capacity, contributing to global warming and devastating the livelihoods of fishermen.
Further, he called for an immediate action needed for Mudasarlova Reservoir, Satyanarayana said, “It is alarming that out of 836 acres of the historic reservoir built in 1901, only 286 acres remain protected today. Dump yard in the upstream of Mudasarlova Reservoir has to be shifted, a promise made by Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan.”
He demanded that the Mudasarlova catchment area be declared a ‘No Construction Zone’ to preserve the city’s ecological balance and sewage from Arilova must be diverted through STPs immediately.
“A city is defined by the health and quality of life of its citizens, not by its boundary,” he opined, opposing the exercise of merging new villages for real estate interests without improving drainage and controlling pollution.
He alleged that the land acquisition process for the Jindal project in S Kota mandal violates the Land Acquisition Acts and that offering only Rs.2 lakh in cash and the rest in shares is legally invalid. According to him, acquiring land without Social Impact Assessment (SIA) or Gram Sabha consent is equivalent to ‘corporate land grabbing.’
Demanding that GVMC should immediately release Rs.100 crore in library cess dues, Satyanarayana said it is ‘shameful’ that the historic Visakhapatnam Library is facing closure due to lack of funds.
Responding to the remarks made by former DGP AB Venkateswara Rao, Satyanarayana stated, “I have never craved positions. I fight for people. My record includes winning a legal battle against the government to save mangroves during the YSRCP regime. Regarding Amaravati, my struggle was to preserve the environment and fertile lands, not against the capital itself. I challenge the former DGP to an open debate in front of the media.”
Bolisetty Satyanarayana urged the youth to stay informed and called upon citizens to elect leaders who prioritise protecting their region and the environment over wealth.
