Over the past few years, greenery on notable areas on the islands and river banks has been lost
Krishna river
Vijayawada: The extent of deforestation in the naturally formed islands and river banks, on either side of the Krishna River in Krishna and Guntur districts, is revealed by Google Earth.
Over the past few years, greenery on notable areas on the islands and river banks has been lost due to encroachments. Political parties are mounting pressure on government to take action and protect the land.
A study of maps on Google Earth, a satellite image-based mapping service, of Krishna River behind Prakasam Barrage reveals that the islands, other than Bhavani Island, have suffered major deforestation over the years.
The timeline of the satellite images by the mapping service between 2001 and 2015 provide a glimpse into the drastic changes of the river which is to be protected as per the provisions of the River Conservatory Act 1884.
The islands on the Krishna River together form over 20,000 acres of land and all of it was covered in green pastures nearly a decade ago, the mapping service revealed. The same land on the island today is seen in colours other than green.
This implies encroachments. Apart from the islands, the river banks too have been encroached and the mapping service identifies encroachments. The major encroachers include Gokaraju Gangaraju guesthouse, Manthena Satyanarayana Raju hospital, Luxury guesthouse and other structures since 2007, according to Google.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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