Karedu Villagers Resisting Solar Project in Nellore District

 Nellore: A storm is brewing at Karedu village in Ulavapadu mandal of SPSR Nellore district. Over 16,000 families of the village have risen as one in protest against Andhra Pradesh government's move to allocate 8,348 acres of fertile agricultural land to Indosol Solar Private Limited for a large-scale renewable energy project.

The proposed project has ignited fears of displacement, ecological damage and loss of livelihood within the region’s agrarian communities. Villagers contend that the land in question—used for double-crop paddy, groundnuts, mangoes, coconut farming, and aquaculture—is not just soil, but sustenance.

“This land feeds our families and drives the local economy,” said a protesting farmer, warning that the project could cripple food security, disrupt water bodies, and damage the environment permanently.

The unrest is being further fuelled with the claim that the state government has bypassed legal requirements, such as public consultations and Gram Sabha approvals. The government is facing the charge that it is violating the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

Farmers insist the solar infrastructure can as well be located on non-cultivable, barren lands elsewhere in the district without displacing entire communities or harming the ecosystem.

The protestors have drawn attention to social equity concerns, noting that 750 acres of the proposed land belong to scheduled caste families and another 500 acres to scheduled tribes and Sangam communities. With memories still fresh of the devastating 1994 floods, many fear that the Rs 69,000 crore project could place lives and investments at risk in a disaster-prone zone.

However, district officials have countered these objections. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Nellore collector O. Anand clarified that land actually acquired will be only 4,800 acres across three hamlets—Upparapalem, Ramakrishnapuram and Pottenugunta—out of the 19 hamlets under Karedu village. The land includes 500–600 acres of government land.

“We are engaging with locals. We will proceed only with voluntary consent,” he emphasised.

The collector explained that rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) packages include 5 cents of alternative land, financial aid for new housing, and full compensation for current homes and land. He maintained that the most fertile lands near the coast and water tank, spanning 1,200 acres, will remain untouched. If any canal land is used, water will be channelled taking alternative routes while ensuring irrigation of agricultural lands.