Kakinada: In gross violation of the Forest Conservation Act, where flora and fauna could be affected, aqua pond owners have dug up a drain illegally to let pond wastes flow into the protected Coringa mangrove wildlife sanctuary near Kakinada.
Forest officials on Tuesday after being informed by Deccan Chronicle said, it violated the Act and decided to issue notices and dismantle the drain leading to the sanctuary. Forest officials said that the aqua pond owners did not seek permission.
Though the contractor, who laid the drain claimed that the aqua ponds were owned by former minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar, investigation by forest officials, who initiated action after Deccan Chronicle informed them, revealed that it is owned by Butchi Babu of Kakinada.
Coringa Sanctuary forest range officer Lalitha Kumari said, “After being informed by the newspaper, we visited the spot on Tuesday evening and found a drain dug up and pipes being laid to drain out the water from the aqua ponds. It is a clear violation under the Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act to allow water into sanctuary from the ponds. We will dismantle it and have issued notices. The contractor laying the drain has left the scene sensing our visit and he took away the earth mover.”
She said a case will be registered after serving the notices. The aqua pond is on the right side from where the drains were dug. These were paddy fields and recently converted into aqua ponds for prawn culture. The fields on the left side are owned by Vatti Vasantha Kumar, the former minister, and the drain has nothing to do with his ponds. She added that the drain was dug up outside the reserve forest area adjoining the eco-tourism land leading into the sanctuary.
When contacted Mr Vatti Vasantha Kumar said, “I have leased out my aqua ponds and I have no knowledge on what is happening there.” Conservationist and biodiversity scientist Tulasi Rao said, “The water from aqua ponds contain pesticides and it will harm flora and fauna of the sanctuary when drained into the forest area.”
