RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to intervene and ensure justice for the people of the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary region. He submitted a detailed report to the Speaker, highlighting the livelihood crisis faced by lakh of residents.
In a press note released on Monday, the MP explained that around 4 to 5 lakh people living in the Kolleru region, spanning two parliamentary constituencies, depend on aquaculture. However, frequent natural calamities result in crop losses, causing severe financial distress.
He recalled that in 1975, the then Chief Minister Jalagam Vengala Rao encouraged aquaculture by establishing 144 fishermen’s societies. However, in 1999, the State government declared 77,000 acres as a wildlife sanctuary, severely affecting local livelihoods.
Mahesh Kumar informed the Speaker that after the wildlife sanctuary declaration, basic infrastructure, including schools, colleges, cremation grounds, roads, and drinking water resources, became inaccessible, forcing many residents to migrate.
He stressed that the decline in aquaculture has impacted state revenue, and further delays will worsen financial difficulties and legal uncertainties for the people of Kolleru.