RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Papikondalu boat operators plan to meet Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, urging the withdrawal of the proposed Environment Maintenance Charges (EMC) by the Forest Department. The Department had announced on Thursday that EMC will be levied from December 1, 2024.
Justifying the move, Conservator of Forests for the Rajamahendravaram circle BNN Murthy had told The New Indian Express that the initiative was necessary to prevent environmental degradation caused by unchecked waste disposal.
Speaking to this newspaper, Treasurer of the Boat Operators’ Association, Sheik Kareem Shah stated that the EMC would impose significant financial burdens, jeopardising operators and diluting tourism in the Godavari region.
“We already pay Rs 100 per ticket to the tourism department, along with Rs 2 per tourist and Rs 1 per child. Despite Rs 3 crore collected as cess over three years, no improvements have been made at Gandipochamma and Pochavaram boat points,” Shah rued.
Currently, the Forest Department charges Rs 200 per boat trip but now plans to hike it to Rs 2,500–Rs 6,000, based on seat capacity. Shah called this ‘highly unfair’ and said it would be brought to the attention of both forest and tourism authorities.
Operators face stringent clearances from multiple agencies. Maintenance costs average Rs 8 lakh annually per boat. The association has demanded a single-window clearance system and a reduction in EMC.