Illegal aquaculture on rise in East Godavari

Kakinada: With vast seacoast of 138 kilometres across 13 mandas in the district and more than 4.50 lakh acres of agriculture land, East Godavari along with West Godavari known as rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh.

In the last one and half decade along with paddy, aquaculture also picked up momentum in the district. The activity spread to fresh water and brackish water culture is said to have attracted the attention of politicos both in ruling, opposition and even the leaders of national parties as profitable business with good crop yield and best financial results with less labour costs.

As per official information, the aquaculture has been taken up in 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres across the 36 villages in the district). It is assessed that the unauthorised aquaculture is going on in another 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres)

The rise in unauthorised activity and the problems that are being faced by them was brought to the notice of the district administration by some paddy farmers of Konseema area in the district at the newly started Spandana grievances cell on last Monday. These include water sources pollution besides contamination of water ponds in paddy cultivation areas.

It is suspected that the aquaculture is going on in some areas with active unauthorised support of officials of stakeholder departments for personal gains as the process of clearance involves lengthy process. For clearance of aquaculture, revenue, agriculture, fisheries, groundwater, pollution control authorities have to give clearance.

Some big farmers are said to be luring small and marginal farmers of paddy, with additional financial benefits and getting the lands on lease for aquaculture. These sections, in turn, simply obtaining unproductive land certificates from agriculture department to pave way for conversion as aquaculture tanks.

According to Kakinada revenue division sources, aquaculture is more in Karapa, Tallarevu and Pedapudi mandals out of total 9 in the revenue division. In this revenue division, the unauthorised aquaculture noticed to the extent of 4,500 acres whereas the permitted area is to the tune of 15,000 acres. This indicates the raise in unauthorised activity in the district.

District Fisheries Joint Director V Venkateswara Rao said they have given June 30 as deadline for regularising the unauthorised aquaculture by applying in proper format and by paying the fee fixed for regularisation.

If this facility is not utilised on or before deadline, the panel of stakeholder departments may opt for the decision to dismantle the existing unauthorised aqua tanks in the district after verifying the records and number of applicants, the JD made it clear.