Kolleru is one of Asia's largest fresh water lakes, spread over an area of 90,100 ha and located between the Godavari and Krishna river basins of Andhra Pradesh. This fragile wetland ecosystem is under severe threat due to human interventions in the lake and in the upstream catchment area as well as in the downstream.
Hyderabad, June. 24: A promise made by the former Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, to local villagers is hampering the Kolleru lake restoration. He had assured them that the boundary will be reduced to the third contour and this has prompted them to oppose the moves by forest officials the fix the boundary at fifth contour.
Kolleru lake would be developed at a cost of nearly Rs 860 crore over five years as the international non-governmental agency, Wetland International South Asia, has prepared proposals to that effect at the behest of the state government. Of the total cost proposed for development, a whopping Rs 500 crore has been allocated for water management works.
The state government needs Rs 430 crore for the first phase in the acquisition of zerayati land spread over 9,237 acres around Kolleru lake in Krishna and East Godavari districts. The land is situated in fifth contour of Kolleru lake that is being restored after the Supreme Court's directions.
After the richer locals leased land/water from the poor cooperatives in the 1970s in Kolleru in Andhra Pradesh, the land has remained in the name of poor "beneficiaries", while the real fisherfolk work on meagre wages.
