Dharmavaram likely to be new home for Kovvada-displaced

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Andhra Pradesh government are likely to finalise Dharmavaram village as the place to shift the families facing displacement from Kovvada and surrounding villages because of the proposed nuclear power plant.

Revenue Divisional Officer B. Dayanidhi and other senior officials visited Dharmavaram and nearby villages along with the villagers to finalise the site for the housing colony.

According to the officials, most of the villagers are willing to relocate themselves to Dharmavaram, which is very close to the coast.

Though the villagers insist on developing a colony adjacent to the National Highway near Ranasthalam, the officials say that is not a viable proposition because of high price of land.

The government needs 180 acres for constructing a housing colony and allotting sites for the displaced persons. It has to spend Rs.6 lakh for construction of each house.

In all, 988 families face displacement from Kovvada and Tekkali villages. There will not be any habitation in the two villages in future. For establishing nuclear plant, the government will have to acquire 2,074 acres from Ramachandrapuram, Tekkali, Kotapalem, Gudem, and Jeeru Kovvada, where people can stay as usual.

‘Most of the villagers are willing to relocate themselves to the place as it is close to the coast’