Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu along with officials will hold the aerial survey of the Kolleru Lake in July to speed up the proposal of downsizing the Asia’s largest freshwater lake from contour +5 to +3.
In 2014, the State government has proposed to downsize the lake to distribute the selected portion of the lake among beneficiaries. Responding to a group of leaders led by former Kaikaluru MLA J. Venkata Ramana, Mr. Naidu had confirmed that he would inspect the Kolleru Lake in July. The group of leaders explained Mr. Naidu that nearly 8,000 families would directly benefit from the decision to downsizing the lake, apart from providing employment for nearly 1.5 lakh workers in Krishna and West Godavari districts.
“Mr. Naidu has promised us to lay foundation stone for the Rs. 12 crore bridge project, connecting Kolleti Kota villages in the heart of the lake to the Kaikaluru town in Krishna district. Foundation stone for the bridge will be laid in June”, said Mr. Venkata Ramana.
“Mr. Naidu has also promised necessary support to grant permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to allow the bridge on the lake”, added Mr. Venkata Ramana. However, many villages in West Godavari would also use the bridge to cross the lake. The leaders from Kolleru lake area told the Union Minister that they would dismantle the existing iron bridge, which was constructed on the lake near Kolletikota.
People belonging to Kaikaluru and Mandavilli mandals in Krishna district will directly benefit from the State government’s decision to downsize the lake. Sources told The Hindu that the land recovered by the government during the Operation Kolleru is falling between the contour +5 and +3 and that would be distributed among beneficiaries by the State government. The Wildlife Management Division, Eluru has reportedly submitted the survey details, locating the land in the lake in the respective contours for downsizing exercise.
Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will join the Central survey team
