Project on riverbed raises eyebrows

Nellore: Even as blame game had started over picking unsafe and riverbed land for construction of huge housing project with around Rs 300 crore on the banks of Penna river, government records say it is clearly riverbed which has been converted for the needs of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board (APSEB) for construction of an ash pond. The site is close to Nellore Thermal Station (NTS) located in Kovur which was shut down in 2006.

It may be recalled that the state government had constructed 4,800 houses in 60 acres for the poor under ‘Housing for All’ scheme and lucky dip was also conducted. Now, beneficiaries are ready to occupy the houses.

But, the High Court of Hyderabad has issued stay orders as some people have knocked the doors of the Apex Court for stay orders as the area falls under riverbed which poses threat during flash floods. Thus, the construction work attracted rules under the River Conservancy Act 1884 and the High Court issued stay orders.

There has been a dispute between the ruling party and the opposition on the issue for some time. The ruling party has been charging that the opposition was creating unnecessary objections submitting by documents to the High Court using signatures of the beneficiaries.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) also announced that the project was constructed disregarding AP River Conservancy Act 1884 as the area comes under riverbed which is close to River Penna.

In fact, the APSEB requested the state government in 1987 asking 60 acres of lands for its ash pond and the state government accorded permission through RC D6 6993/87 in October 1990.

The proceedings reveal that the 60-acre site was earlier allocated to the APSEB for Rs 15 lakh at Rs 25,000 per acre. It was clearly mentioned in the proceedings that the land belongs to River Poramboku and has been converted for the ash pond where waste material had to be dumped.

In fact, Executive Engineer of Nellore who holds charge of Conservator of Rivers had recommended along with revenue officials such as MRO, RDO and Collector for alienation of the riverbed land.

The land intruded into the river for more than 200 metres and still there was no objection either from the revenue or irrigation departments to protect such prohibited lands.

“The mistake was done in 1990s and now we don’t have any role in the issue. It is a fact that the site is under the purview of AP River Conversancy Act and the housing project should not have been taken up.

But, due to politicisation of the issue, we are being questioned the rationality of allocation,” said an official from concerned wing. Now, the site has been picked by the Municipal Administration Department for providing an urban housing and constructed huge structures without considering possible damages during flash floods.

Further, on the plea of the beneficiary whose names were included in the petition, the High Court had vacated the stay orders on Monday and NUDA Chairman K Srinivasulu Reddy said it was a political plot of the city MLA.