Development Not At Cost Of Nature: Rajendra Singh
On Amaravati, he insisted that environmental clearance conditions reserving a 2–3km stretch along the Krishna exclusively for agriculture and blue-green infrastructure must be followed.
VIJAYAWADA: Water conservationist Dr Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the Waterman of India, has cautioned the Andhra Pradesh government against sacrificing environmental interests in its craze for investments and infrastructure projects, as “development must comply with environmental laws.”
Addressing concerns raised over three major projects, along with environmental activist and Jal Biradari national convener Bolisetty Satyanarayana, he found fault with the decisions to set up the Google-Adani data centre in Visakhapatnam, the Amaravati capital construction and the underground coal gasification projects in Chintalapudi-Recherla.
Questioning the proposed 1,000mw-plus data centre, he sought transparency over the release of `22,002 crore in incentives, land allocation and the expected creation of only around 500 jobs. He flagged the allocation of 160 acres belonging to Simhachalam Devasthanam, citing discrepancies between the reported 30-year agreement and an 11-year lease mentioned in the company's affidavit.
He also warned of possible damage to the Kambalakonda eco-sensitive zone and the Mudasarlova reservoir.
Referring to the November 4 high court hearing, he said the court had ruled that the project’s implementation was conditional to the final outcome of the case while allowing the company to proceed with the works at its own risk.
On Amaravati, he insisted that environmental clearance conditions reserving a 2–3km stretch along the Krishna exclusively for agriculture and blue-green infrastructure must be followed.
Violations, he said, could aggravate floods, damage drainage systems and invite legal complications.
Rajendra Singh demanded an independent scientific assessment of the Chintalapudi-Recherla coal gasification projects and protection of 8,700 acres of fertile farmland and farmers' livelihoods.
Citing India's 176th rank among 177 countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index, he urged people-centric development that protects water, forests, biodiversity and future generations.
