Sompeta people on warpath

Srikakulam: People of Sompeta mandal are raising their voice against the proposed industrial units at Beela lands (wet land area) and they are demanding setting up of eco-friendly units. Beela wet lands spread in 4,000 acres in Sompeta mandal.

The Congress government proposed to start thermal power plant (TPP) at Beela and handed over 972 acres to Nagarjuna Constructions Company (NCC) in 2009. But, local people opposed it and staged protests on July 14, 2010 in which three people were killed in police firing. Fearing backlash in elections the then Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy cancelled the proposed TPP on February 18, 2014.

Subsequently, the TD government is proposing various other industries here, but people of all affected villages again rising their voice under the aegis of Paryavarana Parirakshana Sangham (PPS) against it. PPS members quoting Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) at Coimbatore report on Beela wet lands in 2012 and again in 2016 explained its peculiar quality and importance of protecting the ecological balance.

SACON report suggested alternative measures to the government to develop Beela lands as a revenue generating source and a team of scientists from SACON toured across Beela with the Central government’s nod. SACON has suggested to provide boating facility, cottages, bird watching towers, angling and floriculture instead of industrial units in order to save bio-diversity,” said PPS president and secretary Dr Yaradi Krishna Murthy and Beena Dhilli Rao.

They submitted memorandums to the Chief Secretary to the government, District Collector, revenue divisional officer, Pollution Control Board officials demanding setting up of eco-friendly units at Beela area by referring SACON suggestions.