VIJAYAWADA: Three ancient ponds in Andhra Pradesh secured the World Heritage Irrigation Structures status. However, the Comptroller and Auditor-General (Cag) has observed that the ponds were encroached by Urban Local Bodies leading to five ponds disappearing in Vijayawada and Nagari town. Cag studied 37 water bodies in six selected (out of 110) ULBs and found encroachments in 25 of them.
The Cag audit observed construction of an indoor stadium and a Rythu Bazaar in Nalla Cheruvu and ZP high school, gram panchayat office amd an anganwadi centre in Nagari town. The water bodies especially in and around urban areas are facing a threat from rapid urbanisation without adequate attention to ecology.
The ancient Cumbam tank in Prakasam district, Porumamilla tank popularly known as Anantharaja Sagaram in Kadapa district t and KC Canal in Kurnool district recently got the World Heritage status.
The audit also studied urban local bodies (ULBs) (Vijayawada, Markapur, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Nagari and Pulivendula Municipalities/Municipal Corporations) and 37 water bodies in the villages adjacent to them and found encroachments (in approximate area of 132.03 acre) in 25 out of 37 water bodies under the five ULBs and 9 out of 37 test checked tanks in the adjacent villages. Of these, five tanks (three in Vijayawada city and two in Srikakulam town) did not physically exist as the entire area (25.21 acres) under these tanks was encroached.
The exact extent of encroachments was not known as the revenue department had not undertaken any physical survey in recent times. The last physical surveys/measurements were conducted way back in 1906 to 1956.
For example, the audit observed an indoor stadium and a Rythu Bazaar in NallaCheruvu in Patamata area of Vijayawada city. Similarly, a Zilla Parishad High School, a Gram Panchayat Building, an Anganwadi Kendra, etc. were seen in a tank in Gundrajakuppam area of Nagari town.
Cag found ULBs did not take any action for notification of the water bodies as municipal assets, geo-tagging/geo-mapping, formation of bunds, erection of fencing, etc. for protection of water bodies.
During the joint physical verification of the selected water bodies, Cag observed the total extent of 34 tanks was 1466.94 acres. As per the visual assessment of the officials of the ULBs/Revenue Department during the joint physical verification, an approximate area of 132.03 acres was encroached.
Interestingly the government itself turned ponds into residential colonies causing disappearance of water bodies. The Cag report stated DKT or Darakastu Pattas issued in extent of 6.79 acres in Kummari Cheruvu in Gunadala of Vijayawada, 5 acres in Pedda tank in Alikam village near Srikakulam, 0.10 acre in Chinna Cheruvu in Srikakulam town, 16.63 acres in the tank in Achhavelli village near Pulivendula which led to the ponds disappearing.
Residents of Patamata which has turned into a posh area where indoor stadium and Rythu Bazaar was constructed were dumbfound about the Cag’s findings. They said that majority people migrated to Patamata from other areas hence they don’t know the history. Elderly people said that the VMC itself constructed the indoor stadium and Rythu Bazaar and the present generation is unaware about it. They objected to turning the ponds into concrete buildings as it will cause havoc during heavy rains as it happened in Hyderabad.
Cag stated that the stakeholder departments/organizations were lax in carrying out the mandate of protecting the water bodies in the state and had failed to prevent/evict encroachment/encroachers of water bodies. Due to the inaction of all stakeholders, there is a continued risk of further encroachments/degradation of water bodies with consequential ecological imbalances. Cag further stated that the government did not furnish any reply on the encroachment and disappearance of water tanks audit observations.
