Move capital out of Jareebu lands: Experts panel to government

​Vijayawada: An expert panel from Delhi appealed to the State government to move Amaravati away from the Jareebu lands and protect the fertile agriculture lands to make the capital sustainable.

Former chairman of the Delhi Jal Board Prof Vikram Soni, former chairman of Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLA) Sachin Jain, retired IAS officer and former administrative officer of the Chandigarh M G Devasahayam and National Alliance of Peoples’ Movement (NAPM) leader B Satyanarayana, besides others presented an alternative plan for the Amaravati.

They wanted the government to make some changes to the proposed master plan of Amaravati presented by Singapore and Japan. They have requested the Chief Minister to take Indian conditions into consideration in planning and developing the new city.

The experts wanted the government to move the capital city two kilometres away from River Krishna to protect the fertile lands. “This would provide the required food support to the new city,” they said. They further wanted the government to create a new channel from Borupalem to Undavalli, diverting the river water two kilometres away to provide a river view to the new city.

The diversion channel that flows for 18 kilometres parallel to the river would give better ambiance to the new capital and also would be of great help in giving an assured drinking water for the capital. This could also be connected to the Kondaveeti Vagu, the rivulet that flows in the capital villages to give a new look to the capital city, the experts asserted.

The proposed changes would make Amaravati city self-sufficient in water, vegetables, milk and reduce energy use and pollution. The Natural City Amaravati is a pioneering venture in building sustainable cities and will win great worldwide acclaim for the Andhra Pradesh government as the first self-sustaining city,” Prof.

Vikram Soni asserted. ISOLA former chairman Sachin Jain said that they have worked on making some changes to the master plan proposed by the Surbana firm of Singapore.

The changes would provide real economic benefits to its inhabitants living an advanced urban life close to nature,” he added. He felt that Amaravati, which is being planned as the global city should be spared from natural disasters by not encroaching on the floodplains.

Retired IAS officer Devasahayam, who was the administrative officer during the second phase of Chandigarh development said that the 18 kilometre long and two kilometres wide land along the River Krishna from Borupalem to Undavalli was the finest piece of land having the advantage to cultivate five crops a year. “This fertile land should not be turned into a concrete jungle as that would lead to disaster in future.