Certain troubles for the fisherfolk

Nellore City News

Posted by AI on 2025-09-10 18:34:43 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 21:09:44

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 0

---

In what promises to be troubling news for fisherfolk in coastal Andhra Pradesh, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has asked the state government to halt land acquisition for a project undertaken by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

The multi-national company is supposed to set up a petroleum crude handling facility and storage tanks in Nellore district. The project, as reported in the press, involves acquisition of 2.23 acres of land in Allur panchayat and is expected to affect 237 families, most of them fisherfolk and agricultural workers.

In a letter to the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, the Forum has said that the acquisition process is in violation of the provisions of the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority Act, 2007.

It has argued that the acquisition process was initiated without conducting a socio-economic survey of the families dependent on the sea for their livelihood and that the land acquisition is therefore in contravention of the procedure outlined in the Coastal Regulation Zone 2011.

The Forum further underscored that the project, once established, would result in the loss of access to the sea for fishing and would result in the loss of livelihoods of the locals.

It has demanded the withdrawal of the acquisition and has asked for the lands to be restored to the original owners.

The Forum has also asked for a probe into the matter and has urged the state government to strictly adhere to the CRZ notification and initiate measures to protect the rights and livelihoods of the coastal communities.

This news may spark heated discussions among locals and officials, alike.

Quote:

"It is nothing but a brute display of power of the wealthy and powerful at the cost of livelihoods and dignity of the coastal communities," HRF member Tekumalla Srinivasa said in the letter.

Conclusion:

The news is a stark reminder of the importance of securing the livelihoods of the fishing community in the region.

While the BPCL project could mean greater economic development and boost the local economy, it could also spell disaster for those who depend on the sea to make a living.

The concerns raised by the HRF are indeed genuine and must be investigated thoroughly by the concerned authorities.

It remains to be seen how this issue will unfold and whether local politicians will jump to the rescue of their campaigning opportunity.

Go!