Adani group urged to restore container terminal at Krishnapatnam

The legislator said construction of the Nelaturu fishing jetty was nearing completion and that all necessary steps were being taken to expedite the works.

He, along with representatives from Adani Krishnapatnam Port, inspected the under-construction fishing jetty at Nelaturu Panchayat, Muthukur mandal on Wednesday.

Reddy said proposals have been submitted to the government for construction of an additional fishing jetty to benefit fishermen from neighboring villages. He expressed his gratitude to the Adani Krishnapatnam Port for adopting Muthukur Panchayat and contributing to its development.

Thanking SEIL company for its CSR contributions, Reddy noted that they provided medical equipment worth `1.30 crore to healthcare centres in the region. He proposed that 80 per cent of the CSR funds from companies operating in the region should be allocated for the welfare of the people in the Sarvepalli constituency.

Chandramohan Reddy said local fishermen once relied on Krishnapatnam Port for their livelihood. However, the establishment of the port and thermal power projects created challenges for the local fishing community.

As part of its commitment, Adani Krishnapatnam Port has undertaken the construction of the fishing jetty with an investment of `17 crore, he noted.

The project includes an 180-metre-long jetty with a 300-metre breakwater capacity, developed under an agreement with the AP Maritime Board. An additional `15 crore is required to complete the construction, which would be funded by the AP Maritime Board.

Reddy said ports minister BC Janardhan Reddy, along with AP Maritime Board chairman Damacharla Satya and other senior officials would visit the site soon. All steps would be taken to resume the construction work, which had been stalled before the elections.

While the ongoing jetty would primarily serve fishermen from Nelaturu Panchayat, there is growing demand for another jetty to cater to the needs of fishermen from Chillakur, Vakadu, Muthukur, Thotapalligudur, Kodavaluru and Vidavaluru mandals. Efforts are under way to secure the construction of a second jetty to meet this demand.

Reddy expressed concern that thousands of families that gave up their ancestral lands for development projects now faced displacement and environmental pollution. The construction of resettlement colonies in Nelaturu had been stalled for the past five years, but with the return of the alliance government, the work has resumed, he noted.