Tribals oppose mining in river Gosthani

Visakhapatnam: A large number of tribal families on Monday met the Collector Pravin Kumar and urged him to stop the mining activity in the agency areas of river Gosthani.

Addressing the gathering, CPM district secretary K Loknatham said there was a big threat to the river Gosthani from the mining of granite in the agency areas. He said the State government sanctioned permission to kick-start mining for granite at Bimpolu panchayat of Nandakota in Ananthagiri mandal in the agency violating all the environmental laws.

He said the river Gosthani waters being stored at Tatipudi reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation.

Depending on the river Gosthani, he said thousands of tribal families of nine tribal hamlets have leading their lives by cultivating various horticulture crops particularly cashew crop. The government has permitted for granite mining in the said villages which is strongly opposed by the tribals, he pointed out.

The villagers alleged that once the granite reserves lifted there was a big impact on the river Gosthani and people of Visakhapatnam would face big trouble for drinking water.

Loknatham said over 2,000 tribal families demanding for title deeds on the lands in which they were cultivating for the past several decades, but the government is not yet taken any decision.