Kakinada: Tension as cops prevent TDP team from visiting mangroves

Kakinada: Tension prevailed when police intercepted a team appointed by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu with a mission to inspect alleged destruction caused to mangroves by the government to accommodate house sites here on Friday.

The police asked the team to go back without visiting the mangrove site. A heated argument between the TDP leaders and the police followed. The TDP fact finding team was led by former home minister and Peddapuram MLA N China Rajappa and former minister Pitani Satyanarayana, former MLA Vanamadi Venkateswar Rao (Kondababu) and former excise minister KS Jawahar.

Police are deployed in large numbers at the site as a precautionary measure. The police took all steps to prevent the people from going in large numbers to Kakinada port land area.

Pitani Satyanarayana alleged that 50 per cent of mangroves situated in Dummulpet, Parlovapet were destroyed and the rest may also be destroyed. The mangroves served as protective cover for Kakinada people. The YSRC government has no respect for the law, he alleged.

"In view of the High court directive, the works in mangroves have been suspended to keep up the status quo," he said. He welcomed the directive and decision of the High Court.

He appealed to the court to make a comprehensive probe into the case relating to the mangroves and ultimately protect them. He also appealed that the NGT may make an extensive inspection and there by protect the mangroves.