Mega food park works to begin at Tundurru village near Narasapuram

Rajahmundry: Despite facing stiff resistance from the people, the state government seems to be going ahead with the execution of Godavari mega aqua food park at Tundurru village near Narasapuram in West Godavari.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has given the green signal to lay the pipeline stretching to a distance of about 18 km connecting Tundurru village to the coastal village of Mogaltur to release treated effluents from the park into the Bay of Bengal.

The Chief Minister has reportedly agreed to arrange payment of Rs 12 crore through the state government for laying the pipeline.

The Centre had sanctioned the mega aqua food park to West Godavari in AP along with projects in other states some time ago.

Ananda Group which is the pioneer in seafood exports in the country has bagged the bid to execute the park under the aegis Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Private Limited.

When the firm agreed to execute the work to establish the park, there was a hue and cry from the local villagers alleging that the effluents from it will cause ecological disaster as the water bodies, paddy fields and fish tanks would get polluted. The villagers are up against the state government even today for allowing the firm to go ahead with its work.

The Centre, state government and the Ananda Group are involved in executing the project as the Centre had sanctioned Rs 50 crore for development of the park while state government too is expected to sanction a matching grant.

The officials from both the Centre and state government will be appointed as the ex-officio members of the board of directors of the firm and any decisions taken by the firm are to be taken with the concurrence of all the board members.

The revenue authorities say that the main objective of the firm is to process, freeze and export locally produced prawns and fish to foreign countries where there is a huge demand. The effluents which will be treated as per international norms and released through the upcoming pipeline into the sea.

Narasapuram sub-collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar said, “The state government has issued directions to carry out a survey to lay the pipeline to transport treated effluents from the upcoming aqua food park to release into the sea water. This rules out the concern of the people that water bodies and fertile soil will be polluted due to the discharge of effluents. We are trying to bring about awareness on the issue among people and to convince them to accept the project for execution.”