Residents jittery as Pharma City plans take root

 Mucherla: The people living in and around Macherla are a worried lot as the State Government plans for setting up a Pharma City take root. About 350 small and micro enterprises are to come up. The pharma companies are to spread over 12,500 acres.

People in the villages of Mucherla, Kurmidde, Pallechelka tanda, Medipally and other villages are wary of the Pharma City as they would not only have to part with  land and also bear the brunt of pollution. Ravinder Reddy, a real estate agent said, “A plan for the Pharma City has already been prepared by a Singapore based firm but people here are not happy. 

In a strange way, instead of the land prices going up, there is a reversal here. The prices have not gone up as expected.”Effect on natural habitat According to a recent survey report by Raptor Conservation Foundation, the Pharma City would have an adverse impact on the animal and bird species. 

There are several patches of reserved forest land with a rich habitat including plants, mammals and birds. Arvind, an avid bird watcher says, “These are few exclusive spots in the state that have flora and fauna and if we are going to have companies that let out waste, we would be losing the natural habitat forever.”