CM Naidu calls for urgent steps to protect environmentally fragile Kolleru Lake

Green cover in the State rose from 29% last year to 30.50% this year, and the goal is to increase it to 37% by 2033 and 50% by 2047, says Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stressed the need to protect the environmentally fragile Kolleru Lake while resolving the problems faced by locals with a humane perspective, and ordered that the encroachments on Upputeru, which carries water from Kolleru to the sea, must be removed. 

Addressing a review meeting on the court rulings, regulations, Central government’s directives, ecological and contour-related matters pertaining to Kolleru Lake at the Secretariat on Monday, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said the officials should ensure that the lake did not turn into a cesspool of pollution, by properly treating the drain waters entering it. He instructed them to desilt Upputeru and completely open all outlets to let water flow freely and wanted the works to be commenced immediately. 

He noted that around three lakh people residing in the Kolleru contour region have been facing hardships for years, though the TDP government made significant efforts to resolve the issues faced by them, between 2014 and 2019. 

In 2018, the National Wildlife Board recommended the exclusion of 20,000 acres of Jirayati and D-Patta lands from the Kolleru sanctuary and proposed new boundaries, and a recommendation to that effect was sent to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) accordingly. However, after objections were raised, the Centre sought the State’s opinion. The YSRCP government had done nothing to sort out the issues faced by the people and for protecting the lake, he alleged. 

Further, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said justice should be done to the farmers, for which the State’s proposals must be submitted to the CEC and the Supreme Court in order to convince them about the action that needed to be taken in such a manner that it did not harm the environment and the flora and fauna and the local people. 

Plantation drive

He told the officials to launch a massive tree-planting drive across the State on June 5 with a target of one crore saplings, and exhorted the Ministers, Collectors, and public representatives to actively participate in it. Green cover in the State rose from 29% last year to 30.50% this year, the CM pointed out, while saying that the goal was to increase it to 37% by 2033 and 50% by 2047. 

There should be a minimum annual increase of 1.50% in green cover and satellite imagery must be used to determine the extent of green cover, including in the CRDA area, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said, adding that each sapling should be geo-tagged and focus laid on nurturing and protecting the trees.

Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, Assembly Deputy Speaker K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju (MLA, Undi), MLAs Kamineni Srinivas (Kaikaluru), P. Dharma Raju (Unguturu) and Chintamaneni Prabhakar (Denduluru) were among those present.

Published - June 02, 2025 07:33 pm IST