Waterman, rajendra singh appeal to save Visakhapatnam beaches

Visakhapatnam : Waterman and renowned conservationist Rajendra Singh and Visakhapatnam environmentalist Bolisetty Satyanarayana appealed to Andhra Pradesh High Court and submitted a memo expressing their objections to the report filed by the committee appointed by the High Court.

Meanwhile, the bench gave two weeks’ time at the request of the advocate general for further hearing scheduled on February 14, 2024.

On Friday, the petitioners visited Lawson’s Bay beach area and said that the officials concerned are impacting the sea water in the garb of beautification work and plant curtains as the ground reality is different. Pointing at the sewage getting into the sea, Rajendra Singh and Bolisetty Satyanarayana said they will submit a memo with evidence to the court. They said it was disturbing to see sewage getting directly into the sea for the past decade.

Rajendra Singh mentioned that despite his repeated trips to the GVMC office, no action is taken for the same thus far. Following which, he said, he was forced to file a Public Interest Litigation in 2020 in the High Court. “Although the court is responding positively by appointing a committee to study the pollution and submit a comprehensive report along with a solution, APPCB GVMC and VMRDA have been giving excuses.

However, 200 million litres of untreated sewage water has been flowing the sea for years,” Rajendra Singh said, laying emphasis on the need to save marine biodiversity and livelihood of fishermen and maintain a healthy environment in the city.