Over 1,500 coconut trees, acres of casuarina plantation destroyed for constructions near beach: fisherfolk in West Godavari district

The fisherfolk in Perupalem, a coastal village in West Godavari district, are determined not to allow any construction on the land near the beach, which they say is protected by the norms of the Coastal Regulation Zone and where they have been growing coconut trees and casuarina plantations for decades.

With catch from sea dropping, the villagers have grown increasingly dependent on these trees for their livelihoods, said Tirumani Srinivas, a fisherman, adding that 15 casuarina plantations have been flattened for the current construction work. “A few persons, claiming to be working for the government, have begun putting a heap of sand, brought bricks and built the foundation for the structures,” said Mr. Srinivas.

Activists from the Human Rights Forum (HRF), which has been working on the issue for a long time, said on condition of anonymity that these projects not only strip the villagers of their livelihood source, but also flout the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.

According to the CRZ Notifications, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), coastal areas are classified into CRZ I, CRZ II, CRZ III and CRZ IV sections. Area up to 200 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL) on the landward side is considered No Development Zone (NDZ) under CRZ-III, where no permanent structures can come up, according to the notification.

Mr. Srinivas, who had moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court previously, said the present construction is within the NDZ area. The High Court has already issued two stay orders regarding constructions in the place, he said. Regarding the ongoing work, the villagers recently filed another writ petition, requesting compensation for the lost casuarina plantation. On Tuesday, the High Court ordered a status quo, but the order is yet to be uploaded online.

While the HC order has brought temporary relief, the villagers say that in the past, constructions had been taken up despite HC orders. “We cannot keep fighting private and government players,” said T. Satyanarayana, another villager.

Since 2016, when construction of the first restaurant in the area began, till 2023, over 1,500 coconut trees and many acres of casuarina plantations have been destroyed to make way for a road, two other resorts, a marine police station and the beach festival, Mr. Satyanarayana said. Later, activists and villagers halted the construction of two restaurants and the marine police station.

Asked about how a construction can come up in the NDZ, West Godavari District Collector Chadalawada Nagarani said the ongoing work is for public utility purposes. “They are not permanent structures. Two temporary toilets are coming up at a cost of ₹3 lakh each on the beach for tourists,” she said. The Collector added that the toilets are not coming up in the area where stay orders apply, but villagers disagree with her on this.

Human Rights Forum (HRF) State Secretary and High Court advocate Gutta Rohith said that irrespective of the disagreement, the law is very clear on what can be constructed in areas falling under the No Development Zone.