The wildlife authorities on Tuesday registered cases against nine residents of Pulaparru village of Mandavalli mandal in Krishna district for their alleged role in digging a 12-acre pond in the fifth contour of Kolleru lake.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Ramachandra Rao said cases had been registered against the accused for violating the provisions of the Wildlife Protection (1972) Act as the villagers proceeded with excavation work without obtaining permission. The accused have been identified as Dasari Suribabu, Ghantasala Nathanyelu, Moru Sivanna, Thota Koteswara Rao, Peddira Satyanarayana,Ambati Subramanyam, Moru Nagraju, G. Subramanyam, and Jayamangala China.
The villagers claimed that they were in desperate need of drinking water as the existing reservoir in their village is not able to meet their needs. Tension prevailed as the villagers did not allow the forest officials to take up pond levelling work on Monday and Tuesday. “We have sought the of support of police and revenue officials to take up pond levelling work and demolition of a bund. The villages raised the bund on one side of the pond. We are unable to proceed with demolition work due to stiff resistance from the locals,” Mr. Ramachandra Rao told The Hindu. The forest officials made it clear to the villagers that they would be permitted to dig the pond only if the National Board for Wildlife grants permission.
Base camp
The Eluru-based Wildlife Management Division set up a temporary base camp at Pulaparru to prevent further work.
“We are in touch with the villagers, persuading them to withdraw their attempt, ” Divisional Forest Officer P. Saibaba told The Hindu.
