In a fresh bid to protect one of India’s largest freshwater lakes, Kolleru, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to initiate a dual approach: clear encroachments and simultaneously seek the exclusion of 20,000 acres from the sanctuary area to safeguard the livelihoods of nearly 3 lakh people.
Chief Minister N Naidu Music Monday chaired a high-level review at the Secretariat on the legal, ecological, and administrative issues concerning the lake, located in Eluru district. Officials said the lake, once a pristine ecosystem spread across the Krishna and Godavari delta, is now rapidly deteriorating, clogged with untreated sewage, silt, and encroachments due to rampant aquaculture.
“Kolleru must not turn into a cesspool of pollution. Drain water entering the lake should be properly treated. The unchecked release of drains is polluting Kolleru; this must be stopped,” Naidu told officials. “Encroachments on Upputeru must be removed and the silt cleared, and all outlets must be completely opened to allow free water flow to the sea.”
Around 3 lakh people reside within the lake’s contour zone, including farmers cultivating lands classified as jirayat (dryland farming) or D-patta (government-assigned). These lands fall within the protected sanctuary boundary, and the residents are often labelled encroachers.
In 2018, the National Wildlife Board had recommended the exclusion of 20,000 acres and proposed revised boundaries for the sanctuary. However, following objections from conservation bodies, the Centre sought the state’s official stance.
Naidu said the state will file a fresh appeal in the Supreme Court and before the Central Empowered Committee to exclude the 20,000 acres of these disputed lands from the sanctuary limits.
Spanning over 245 square kilometres between the Krishna and Godavari river deltas, the lake is a major tourist attraction. However, environmental activists and government officials have been pointing to the deterioration of the lake, which is the home for migratory birds like Siberian crane, cormorants, flamingos and resident birds like spot-billed pelican and painted storks.
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Over the last decade, large-scale fish farms have mushroomed across the lake and its surrounding wetlands, contributing to heavy pollution and choking natural water channels. Encroachments have also affected Upputeru, the natural drain that carries excess water from Kolleru to the Bay of Bengal.
Naidu instructed officials to prepare an action plan that balances ecological conservation with justice for local residents. “We must protect both the birds and the people,” he said.
