The message of the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy Government could not be louder and clearer.
With the demolition of the Praja Vedika, built by the previous Chandrababu Naidu government with public money of ₹9 crore, the YSRCP government has signalled to all government departments that it is not going to spare any building that has come up in violation of environmental norms.
The Praja Vedika was reportedly within an area protected by the 135-year-old River Conservancy Act.
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) was the first to act to the Chief Minister’s cue. It served demolition notices on the owners of over 50 "unauthorised constructions" on the right bank of the Krishna upstream the Prakasam Barrage, as according to the River Conservancy Act, 1884, no permanent structures are allowed on the banks of the river.
However, charitable trusts and private individuals have built multi-storeyed buildings and palatial houses within the flood bank. Unfortunately, one or more government departments and authorities had reportedly given some sort of permission to these unauthorised structures, which have even managed to obtain electricity connections.
Blatant violations
Rich businessmen, well-to-do farmers, Non-Resident Telugus and politicians have purchased lands along the waterfront for the purpose of building mansions and palatial guesthouses overlooking the river, all in violation of the River Conservancy Act.
YSRCP general secretary and Farmer’s Wing chairman M.V.S. Nagireddy said that rivers had no floodbanks to begin with. The British Empire had come up with the concept of floodbanks to prevent property and livestock loss whenever there was a flood in the river as the damage had an adverse impact on the revenue to the government. The River Conservancy Act was enacted to prevent encroachments and their adverse impact.
There has been a tremendous change in the utility of the rivers over the ages. Beginning with fishery, irrigation took precedence and subsequently power generation. There was a time when the Irrigation Department and Power Generation Corporation fought to retain control over the Prakasam Barrage which was crucial for maintaining the level of water in the Krishna.
With the growing importance of recreation (tourism included) as a source of revenue, even successive governments started giving serious thought to the development of the riverfront. Prior to bifurcation, the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (UDA, later renamed as CRDA) had come up with several waterfront development projects including the building of twin towers on the banks of the Krishna in Bhavanipuram.
Erroneous decisions?
The UDA had reportedly given permission to a trust for the construction of a Naturopathy Health Resort on the right bank of the Krishna.
The Lotus Food City, constructions on Bhavani Island and a few buildings at Berm Park in Bhavanipuram were all built in violations of the River Conservancy Act, it is learnt.
The chairman of the health resort trust, Manthena Satyanarayana Raju, told the media that UDA had given permission to the trust to build multi-storeyed buildings within the floodbanks. The trust has even approached the High Court requesting that the demolition notice issued by the CRDA be stayed.
Mangalagiri YSRCP MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who has been fighting encroachment of the right bank, said that the grievance hall constructed by the Naidu government paved the way for mushrooming of more "unauthorised constructions".
Poor at risk
The river banks are the first choice for thousands of migrants who come from different parts of the State to find livelihood in the centrally-located Vijayawada city. There has been a huge reduction in the "river flow area" because of several irrigation projects in the upper reaches leading to encroachment of the rivers by the poor. Most start their lives here using tarpaulin as shelters, but slowly their temporary shelters transform into pucca houses. Climate change too made floods unpredictable, and those living on the river banks are the most vulnerable.
Vijayawada-based environmentalist and advocate Mallella Seshagiri Rao, who has extensively studied the problem, said that if a government department or agency has given any permission against the law, "it is unconstitutional and action has to be initiated against them". All permissions granted in violation of the River Conservancy Act were null and void, he said.