Tension prevails as villagers block forest officials’ entry to Kolleru Lake

Tension prevailed near the village of Paidichintapadu on Thursday as farmers and residents staged a sit-in protest, not allowing Forest Department officials to enter the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.

The confrontation is the latest escalation in a long-standing dispute over the sanctuary’s legal boundaries and the livelihood rights of thousands of local families.

The residents blocked all three entry points to the village, erecting temporary tents. They did not allow the forest officials to pass through the three roads that lead to illegal fish tanks.

According to Forest Department sources, illegal fish tanks sprawling over nearly 300 acres were identified in the village, of which around 250 acres have already been demolished in earlier phases.

The remaining illegal tanks spread over 50 acres are posing a challenge to the authorities. The tanks in question could not be demolished earlier due to a boundary dispute involving an adjacent 100-acre tank, which led to a temporary halt in the operations.

Recently, the Forest Department personnel tried to prevent local residents from pumping water into these illegal tanks tanks, triggering fresh resistance.

Supreme Court orders

The forest officials pleaded with the villagers to allow them to discharge their duties and implement the Supreme Court orders. But the villagers, led by former ZPTC member Saidu Satyanarayana, claimed that their livelihoods were at stake. They vowed to prevent any further government intervention until a definitive legal resolution is reached. 

The villagers asserted that they would continue the protest and threatened to fill in any trenches dug by the department to reclaim land for cultivation.

“Mass migration of the youth is evidence of the economic strangulation caused by sanctuary regulations. We will not let the official go to the lake at any cost,” Mr. Satyanarayana said, forcing the forest officials to return. 

‘Zero-point’ tanks

Despite enforcement efforts, locals are allegedly attempting to continue fish cultivation by creating ‘zero-point’ tanks—shallow tanks dug to a depth of four to five feet— to bypass the restrictions. The department has warned that such attempts also fall under illegal activity and will invite strict action. 

Forest officials reiterated that Kolleru Lake is a protected wetland and that illegal aquaculture poses serious ecological risks. They said steps are being taken to resume demolition of the remaining tanks and measures to ensure restoration of the lake in accordance with court orders and environmental regulations.