The daily ordeal of travelling on bumpy roads by the villagers close to Pulicat and Nelapattu bird sanctuaries to reach nearby towns such as Nellore, Sullurpeta, Tada, Naidupeta and etc. will be a thing of past as their decades-long wait for motorable roads is all set to become a reality.
The Environment and Forest Department has given a nod for giving a facelift to the two roads— between Atakanatippa and Pallipetakuppam via Venadu and Atakanatippa to Perinadu—thanks to the relentless efforts put by the district administration.
The projects were hanging fire for the want of environment clearance.
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The roads have been in a bad shape since years, crying for repairs on several stretches and many of the culverts are in dilapidated condition.
However, the projects have to wait for a while, until the tens of thousands of migratory birds nesting in the Pulicat lake return to their homeland.
Announcing that the projects have got the nod from the government, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Guntur D. Nalini Kumar has asked the Nellore administration to construct crossdrain walls in consultation with the Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife management) at Sulurpeta to ensure free flow of water into the Pulicat lake.
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Two pagodas will be built on each road before taking up the repairs, without disturbing the tranquillity of the picturesque lake, an official notification said here.
₹5.2 crore sanctioned
Collector R. Mutyala Raju, who took note of the bad condition of the road during his visit to the remote villages along the bank of Pulicat lake, sanctioned ₹5.20 crore for giving a facelift to the two stretches on 13.6 km and 8.6 km to Tada and Sulurpeta town respectively, connecting several habitations up to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
The work is scheduled to begin next month and the projects are slated for completion in 45 days as stipulated by the wildlife management officials, after contributing 2% of the project cost to the Bioconservation Society of Andhra Pradesh (BIOSAP) for conservation works to be undertaken at the the avian paradise.
No blasting, tree felling
However, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has made it clear that there should be no blasting or tree felling or dumping of construction material near the lake, the second largest brackish water ecosystem in the country that attract the famous flamingos and other avian species, during the breeding season between September and March every year.
More than 6,000 people eking out a living in the villages close to the rocket launching centre in Sullurpeta and Tada mandals will be benefited by the projects.