Farmers and fishermen of villages in Thondangi mandal in East Godavari district have asked the government to shift the Divi’s bulk drug unit proposed in the district to the Pharma City in Visakhapatnam.
Addressing the media along with Jana Sena Party (JSP) general secretaries Shiva Shankar and B. Satyanarayana here on Saturday, they said that the pollution caused by the bulk drug unit would affect the soil health and marine life, which in turn would have a severe impact on their livelihood.
The unit is proposed to be set up on 505 acres of land near Kothapakulu village in the mandal.
D-patta land
Mr. Satyanarayana said that the government had in 2008 earmarked about 10,500 acres of land for the Kakinada SEZ in the mandal. About 2,100 acres of it are D-patta lands, which was being cultivated by the landless farmers.
“Now, the Divi’s unit is proposed in an extent of 505 acres of the D-patta lands. The land was selected by the APIIC in 2016, and the farmers had been told to move out without even conducting a public hearing or announcing a plan for their rehabilitation,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.
“The Divi’s unit was cleared by the TDP government in 2016. But during his walkathon in 2017, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised us that the unit would be shifted to the Pharma City,” said Sudhakar, a fisherman from Kothapakulu.
“Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had then spoken about human rights and observed that our lives and health would be affected if the drug unit was set up in the village. He also assured that the unit would be shifted on coming to power. But now, he has gone back on his word and has given the nod for the project,” Mr. Sudhakar alleged.
Fishermen’s fear
“The lives of about 30,000 fishermen will be affected as the catch will dwindle if the effluents from the plant are drained out into the sea. Groundwater too will be polluted and our annual three crops will be affected badly,” feared Krishnaveni, a farmer from the village.
“There are about 300 hatcheries in the region. Due to the groundwater pollution, they will have to be shut down. As a consequence, the lives of 40,000 people dependent on the hatcheries will be affected,” she said.
“The unit is proposed on the land belonging to the landless poor. This a violation of their rights as the D-Patta lands can only be taken for public purpose,” Mr. Shiva Shankar observed.
He also questioned the motive of the government, especially when the Andhra Pradesh High Court, on a petition filed by the farmers and fishermen, had order a status quo.
The farmers and fishermen also demanded that the government develop the hatcheries and agriculture in the region.
