Tribals Burn GO 51 Copies in Protest Against Hydro Projects in ASR
CPM leaders, including ASR district secretary and ZPTC member Deesari Gangaraju, Anakapalle district secretary D. Venkanna, and local leader S. Nagulu, visited the proposed project site along with villagers and publicly burned a copy of the order.
Visakhapatnam: Hundreds of tribal residents from Pedakota in Alluri Seetharama Raju district staged a protest on Wednesday demanding immediate cancellation of Government Order No. 51, which sanctions hydroelectric projects in the Pedakota area of Anantagiri Mandal.
CPM leaders, including ASR district secretary and ZPTC member Deesari Gangaraju, Anakapalle district secretary D. Venkanna, and local leader S. Nagulu, visited the proposed project site along with villagers and publicly burned a copy of the order.
The 900 MW pumped storage power project sanctioned between Raiwada, Chintalapudi, and Marika villages from 2019 to 2025 has sparked fears of displacement in the Fifth Schedule tribal areas.
Gangaraju called it “a gross injustice” and accused Adani-linked officials of seeking to clear entire villages, criticising the state cabinet for approving the project without consulting affected communities.
He also warned of rising tensions, as cumulative hydro approvals now reach 1,800 MW in Pedakota alone, and opposed proposed surveys for the Chittampadu and Gujjeli projects in Tokuru and Gummakota panchayats.
Gangaraju vowed resistance, urging state and central governments to halt initiatives threatening tribal livelihoods and constitutional protections.