SC empowered committee holds public hearing

BY V L Srinivasan

Published on March 12, 2006

HYDERABAD: Even as thousands of aqua-culturists and fish-workers affected by the demolition fish ponds in the world famous Kolleru lake in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling stood gloomily, people's representatives and advocates pleaded before the Apex Court appointed empowered committee for protection of the livelihood of the over one million people depending on it directly and indirectly.

As the four-member committee headed by M K Gijwrajaka held the public hearing inside the jubilee hall, agitated aqua-culturists unable to understand the proceedings being held in English, staged a noisy protest.

Seeking modification of the apex court order which only permitted traditional fishing, former MP and former state Minister V Sobhanadreswara Rao urged the committee to allow fish production through ‘cage and pen culture’ practised in the USA, China and Philippines, without causing pollution as a total ban of pesci-culture would deprive livelihood of the people dependant on the Rs 700 crore aquaculture sector.

Maintaining that encroachments of government lands in the fifth contour and private lands, should be removed to restore the pristine glory of the lake, attracting many migratory birds, the TDP leader demanded that the government must provide suitable compensation to the affected people and allocate land for the poor in the sixth and seventh contours for practising environment-friendly ‘cage and pen culture’.

Senior Congress leader Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, MP, pleading the case of the poor fishfolks, argued that demolition of all tanks in the area was not a solution to the problem of pollution caused by discharge of sewerage from several towns, effluents from industrial units and chemicals used in agricultural fields.

CPM floor leader in the State assembly alleged ‘gross human rights violations’ by the government officials in the name of implementation of the Apex Court ruling.

Asked for an explanation, West Godavari District Collector L Agarwal detailed the 354 cases filed in the last six years while implementing the Supreme Court's direction against the people who disrupted demolition of tanks.

Meanwhile, detailing the crop loss due to clogging of the Kolleru lake, which used to receive upto 1.36 lakh cusecs of water at Times of floods, All India Kisan Sabha National Vice-President K Nageswara Rao called for removing encroachments and big fish tanks to prevent about two lakh acres from being submerged, leading to heavy crop loss.

Suitable compensation and alternative livelihood must be provided for fishermen. Appearing for the Kolleru fishermen and small farmers association, its pleader R Rajaram urged the committee to put on hold the demolition operation till the Supreme Court decided on the human rights issues raised by his client, were heard.