Permission a must to convert land into pond: Andhra Pradesh HC

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court said it is mandatory to get permission for converting agriculture lands into ponds as per law. The court made it clear that one cannot innocently say that he was not aware of the law after converting the land into a pond.

It is necessary to take permission to convert land into a pond as per the AP State Aquaculture Development Authority Act, the court said and added that the government has the power to take action against those who convert agriculture lands into ponds without getting permission.

The court gave this order recently after hearing a petition filed by Sri Gayatri Housing managing partner P Prabhakar Rao against Sivakoti Govindu and six others for converting agriculture lands in Katrapulapalle of Jaggaiahpeta mandal in East Godavari district into ponds.

The petitioner informed the court that they had made residential layout in an extent of 7.8 acres duly following the norms. He informed the court that Govindu and others had dug up ponds without permission and the officials failed to take any action.

Govindu, on the other hand, informed the court that they were not in a position to take up cultivation in their lands as the owners of the surrounding lands had converted their lands into ponds. They maintained that the officials had not taken their application for converting their lands into ponds.

After hearing both sides, the court ruled that the government issued GO 15 in 2015, making it mandatory for getting necessary permissions to dig ponds in agriculture lands to take up aquaculture.