MOEF panel visits Rushikonda resort to study eco rule violations

Visakhapatnam: The five-member expert panel of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change visited Rushikonda’s renovated resort on Thursday and investigated the alleged rule violations.

The expert committee was formed in response to orders from the AP High Court in connection with the writ petition filed by Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu and PVLN Murthy Yadav against the APTDC.

 The high court order, on October 21, 2023, mandated the MoEF & CC to make an informed decision regarding the violations reported by an expert committee and give the AP tourism development corporation (APTDC) an opportunity to present its case.

The violations relate to the ecosystem of Rushikonda hill area and, if proven to be true, may result in the cancellation or withdrawal of the environmental clearance granted for the resort on May 19, 2021.

The panel has K. Gowrappan, an expert in damage assessment and former EAC member, and chairman of EAC damage compensation committee, as its chairman. The others are representatives from the national centre for sustainable coastal management, Chennai, the central public works department, Vijayawada, the central pollution control board, Vijayawada and a senior officer from MoEF & CC’s integrated regional office in Vijayawada, its member secretary.

The committee's terms of reference include assessing the impact of reported violations and proposing measures for stabilizing and restoring status quo to the Rushikonda hill area. The committee would submit its report within two weeks.

The integrated regional office (IRO) in Vijayawada will oversee the report preparation.

Meanwhile, petitioner PVKN Murthy Yadav on Thursday filed an interim affidavit in the high court, alleging that borewells were dug on the Rushikonda hill. He said the gravel was thrown around on the beach.

The high court asked the team to submit photos of the violations, if any. The court would hear the case on December 27.