The National Green Tribunal has held the government of Andhra Pradesh guilty for having destroyed 58 acres of Mada forests for distribution of house sites among the homeless poor. It directed the government to pay Rs 5 crore as interim compensation. A south zone bench of the NGT comprising Justice K Ramakrishnan and Dr Korlapati Satya Gopal has issued orders in this regard.
The amount should be credited with the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority for use of the amount for restoration of forests in coastal areas, defense and other relevant purposes. The Bench heard the petition filed by environmentalist Bolisetty Satyanarayana in March 2020 and gave its decision.
As part of the scheme titled Pedalandariki Illu, the AP Government is allotting a cent of land to the landless poor. It identified 58 acres out of the 116-acre Mada forests and made arrangements for distribution of house sites among the poor. In March 2020 it took steps to level the forest area.
As a result, Satyanarayana approached the NGT, which heard the petition constituted a six member committee and asked it to submit its report on the issue. The committee submitted its report to the NGT on March 17, 2021. It recommended that no township should be established there and suggested measures to revival of the forest area. In this backdrop, the NGT has directed the Government of AP to pay the interim compensation.
