Environmentalists in this coastal town are up in arms against a proposal by the local public representatives to alienate certain areas under Muttayapalem reserve forest area for development activities, including tourism, near the Suryalanka beach, stating that such activities are harmful to the coastal environment.
They contend that the reserve forest area is breeding ground for Olive Ridley turtles and many species of migratory birds in particular, and all the roads proposed from Adarsha Nagar pass through the Muttayapalem reserve forest area.
Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupati claims that the coastal region’s tremendous potential has been untapped so far, and this proposal to develop 4,000 acres part of Muttayapalem reserve forest area will give a big fillip to tourism and trigger massive development of the region. Of the 9,000 acres under reserve forest, 1,100 acres have been allotted to Air Force Station.
Local environmentalist Kandula Ramana Kumar has written a letter to the Inspector-General of Forests , Ministry of Environment and Forests, along with satellite images of probable alignment of proposed road and the canal, a checklist of birds recorded by K. Mrutyumjaya Rao, environmentalist and ornithologist from Kakinada, and Rajasekhar Bandi, Citizen Science Coordinator, IISER, Tirupati, urging the Forest Department to withdraw proposals in view of the fragile coastal environment.
The road proposed from Adarsha Nagar to the estuary of Nagaraju Canal (called ‘Poguru’ in local parlance) is now frequented by gulls, terns and many other shore birds. The road will pass along the bund of Perali drain, passing through Muttayapalem reserve forest, and this drain joins the Nagaraju canal near the estuary, said Mr. Ramana Kumar.
The proposals also include a road from the estuary to Suryalanka beach resorts along the coast.
“If this road is laid, it will certainly violate CRZ norms. The lighting arranged on the road will distract the Olive Ridley hatchlings as they are photo-tactic and attracted to light. The entire area is part of Central Asian Flyway, and many species of migratory birds, including the Whimbrel, come to this place during winter,” said Mr. Ramana Kumar.
