Srikakulam: Encroachment of irrigation tanks, channels unabated
Srikakulam: Encroachment of irrigation tanks, channels and real estate ventures in assigned lands are unabated in Palasa and Vajrapukotturu mandals in Tekkali revenue division.
With Palasa town has been growing in all directions for the last five years, the demand for lands for house site construction increased in several villages surrounding Palasa and Vajrapukotturu mandals near the town. By cashing the situation, locally influenced persons started real estate ventures and cheating innocent purchasers by forming unapproved layouts in agriculture lands at Chinnabadam, Garudakhandi, Kosangipuram, Penti Bhadra, Thala Bhadra, Pesarapadu, Kambirigam and Adavikotturu near the Palasa town.
In all these areas, over 12 real estate ventures came in a span of one-year in an extent of 100 acres. Before that also number of unapproved layouts mushroomed in assigned lands. Both municipal and revenue officials have sent an official communication to sub-registrar office (SRO) Palasa not to register sites in 27 unapproved layouts situated around Palasa town and at some villages in Vajrapukotturu mandals.
Some locally influenced persons encroached irrigation channel and tanks for an extent of 6.56 acres located between Nemalikonda and Sudikonda areas near Palasa town. The channel is leading towards Purushottapuram local irrigation tank and catering to drinking water requirements of Palasa town and some villages surrounding it. Locals worried and complained to revenue officials on these illegal activities.
Another irrigation channel and tank of Vamsadhara project was encroached by locally influenced persons at Seethapuram village in Boddapadu gram panchayat in Vajrapukotturu mandal.
Here also farmers worried over cultivation of their crops as water is not flowing freely due to encroachments.
"We are going to conduct a detailed survey on tanks, channels and assigned lands soon to remove encroachments," said tahsildars of Palasa and Vajrapukotturu mandals, S Madhusudhana Rao and G V Narayana Murthy to The Hans India.