A.P. transfers key forest officers amid Kolleru Lake flashpoint

In a major administrative move coming amid rising tensions at Kolleru Lake, the Andhra Pradesh government on Monday transferred two key forest officers and issued full additional charge (FAC) arrangements for their posts.

As per G.O. Rt. No. 258 issued by the General Administration (SC.C) Department, B.N.N. Murthy, Conservator of Forests, Rajahmundry, has been transferred and directed to report immediately before the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (PCCF–HoFF), Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Murthy was overseeing the implementation of Supreme Court orders on the removal of illegal fish and aquaculture tanks in the ecologically sensitive Kolleru Lake.

Following his transfer, Srikantanatha Reddy, current Regional Manager of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC), Rajahmundry, has been placed in full additional charge of the post of Conservator of Forests, Rajahmundry, with immediate effect, until further orders.

In another key change, B. Vijaya, Assistant Conservator of Forests-cum-Divisional Forest Officer (Wild Life Management), Eluru, has also been transferred and directed to report before the PCCF–HoFF. She too was closely involved in enforcing court-mandated actions against illegal encroachments in the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.

Consequent upon her transfer, Pothamsetti Venkat Sandeep Reddy, Divisional Forest Officer, Eluru, has been entrusted with full additional charge of the post of ACF/DFO (Wild Life Management), Eluru.

The transfers come days after tensions flared at Kolleru Lake on February 6, when villagers blocked Forest department officials amid a dispute over sanctuary boundaries. Protests erupted near Paidichintapadu village as local farmers and residents staged a sit-in, preventing officials from entering the sanctuary area. The standoff highlighted a deepening conflict between conservation enforcement and the livelihood concerns of thousands of families dependent on the lake.