VIJAYAWADA: The high court on Friday directed the state government to submit satellite pictures of the area in Kondapalli reserve forest where illegal mining is allegedly taking place and a road was laid by landfilling an irrigation canal.
The state government admitted the canal was encroached upon for laying of a road but no forest land was occupied. The high court bench headed by Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami and Justice Ninala Jayasurya observed that it was difficult to digest that those who occupied an irrigation canal would not encroach into forest lands.
Former MLC T G V Krishna Reddy moved the high court challenging inaction of irrigation and forest department officials in preventing those who encroached into the reserve forest and landfilled the Nagarjuna Sagar irrigation canal under Paritala village for a stretch of about eight kilometres. He argued the canal has disappeared completely with laying of the road.
Counsel for the petitioner, N V Sumanth, argued the canal is supposed to supply irrigation water to upland areas of Krishna district. With the laying of road to pave the way for mining activity, water cannot flow in the canal and is affecting the interests of thousands of farmers.
Special government pleader C Sumon told the bench that it is true that the canal has been encroached upon and irrigation department officials issued notices in 2018. However, there is no encroachments into the forest land, he said.
The high court directed verifying the factual situation on the ground and submitting satellite images to the court.
